Set Me Free
by XxShawns Guardian AngelxX
Summary: The Undertaker is in need of one last soul to claim immortality, but Hunter won't agree to another match. Taking matters into his own hands, Taker uses Shawn, his most precious of souls, by controlling him and making him do his bidding in order to lure HHH into a match. But there are far more sinister plans in the works involving Taker's dark side, Kane and others. Slash, torture
1. He Came in the Night

**Title: Set Me Free**

**Genre: Supernatural/Drama**

**Pairings: Possible implied Hunter/Shawn, Taker/Shawn, Cena, JBL and various others IF I continue this. Chances are if you normally read my work then you know what usual suspects to expect  
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**Rating: 'M' for...well I dunno. Chances are this will need an 'M' rating eventually  
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**Summary: Pretty much Undertaker as in the Lord of Darkness and not "Mark". So this puts a supernatural twist on the current story surrounding him, Hunter and HBK. Taker and Hunter are the last of a generation and Hunter doesn't want to be left alone...or so he says. Meanwhile, Undertaker's grave is in need of another soul before he can finally rest in peace. Not going to say much else so just read on.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own nothing but parts of this completely bogus plot. WWE is owned by McMahon.**

~x~

Set Me Free

Shawn Michaels woke up with a start, his body shivering from the icy wind. He sat up in bed taking a moment to let his eyes adjust. His room was pitch dark except for the one scented candle burning on his windowsill, the curtains drawn back to keep from catching on fire. He looked around his room noting that both set of windows were closed and that he was pretty sure he turned the heater on before bed rather than the thermostat.

Another breeze swept through the room and Shawn shivered. This time it was strong enough to blow out the candle light leaving Shawn in complete darkness except for a hint of moonlight seeping in through the window right across from the foot of his bed. Shawn lived alone and had been for some time now. His ranch was rarely quiet due to all the various animals that lived outside in the woods behind his home as well as his own animals. His ranch was also pretty far away from other civilization completely isolating himself to avoid stalkers. However, this strange, unexplained wind had him perplexed and thus the most terrified he's ever been since the day he almost lost his soul.

Shawn heard a loud click, which was the sound of his door opening. There was somebody in his house and though the fear almost kept him rooted in place, he somehow managed to scramble off the bed, stumbling across the room to the closet where he kept one of many shotguns and cross bows. He grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on, which was a crossbow before shutting the closet. He leaned with his back against the closet door preventing anyone from creeping up behind him and just waited for the door to open. As soon as it opened he planned to shoot without question aiming for the shoulder and then the head if it really was criminal.

The handle on the door turned and then the door slowly creaked open. Shawn was terrified but he held the weapon steady waiting for a body to come into view. A strong wind whipped through his room forcing the door wide open, but no one was there. Out of confusion and terror, Shawn lost control of his body dropping the bow on the carpet. Trembling he bent over to pick it up but when he stood back up, he damn near died of heart attack. "You..."

He flatted himself against the door as best as he could in a vain attempt to distance himself, but of course it was no use. He was trapped between the door and cold, green eyes staring back at him. "Michaels."

Shawn winced, not liking the way his name was being said nor the way he was being referred to by his last name rather than his first. He stared back at the man who he once defied on a regular basis during his run in the WWE, looking rather confused about this very unexpected visit. Then again, he owed this man something that he never collected in the end- possibly out of pity- but he had hoped the Phenom would let him be. After all, he gave up the fight the second time around. He realized that he was in over his head and admitting defeat he walked away with his head held high retreating to a peaceful life of solitude while his adversary celebrated his triumphant victory in his absence. That was the deal that had been made and he had hoped that was the end of it.

"If only Hunner looked at me with such fear in his eyes." Taker tilted his head to the side studying Shawn. He was still flattened against the door, frozen in terror as he looked upon him. The sight was pleasing to the Undertaker. "He doesn't even look at me with that fiery defiance you once captured my attention with."

Another cool breeze whipped through the room hard causing the end of Taker's coat to flap loudly startling Shawn even more. The blonde man shivered, but never once did his eyes leave Taker's for fear of what he might do. For to look away from him would be disrespectful and Shawn was past the stage of playing games with this man, especially now that he knew the truth. Taker was no ordinary man and Shawn had no desire to go up against him anymore in any kind of way. That ship sank a long time ago along with his career, but unlike some people, Shawn had no regrets. It was a fitting end to a historic career and aside from losing to Taker, he couldn't have been happier.

Shawn dropped his head momentarily, his eyes rounding on the bow. He would never- could never- hurt the man standing before him, but that thought did not change the fact that Taker broke into his house and that he, HBK, was scared to death. He kept opening his mouth to speak up, but it was like he lost his voice. The fear he had of this man seemed to have grown despite being a time almost a year ago where he feared nothing. How quickly things can change after one match...after one night...

The Undertaker snapped his fingers and the candle light that was once out sprung back to life, the dancing ember shining light on a face he had not looked upon in a little over a year. Time had been very kind to HBK, something the man who's heart was filled with darkness could actually appreciate. He reached up taking Shawn's chin between his thumb and index finger, turning his head so that he could see the beating pulse of Shawn's neck as it pumped furiously indicating the man's terror. He turned his head back around forcing their eyes to meet once more. "Do you know what I want Shawn?"

No. Shawn did not know what Taker wanted, but he had a hunch that maybe the man had come to collect a two year old debt owed to him. However, Shawn couldn't understand why Taker would change his mind. Shawn dropped his eyes, lashes falling heavily over frightened eyes. "My soul," he whispered.

The Undertaker was silent for a long time leaving Shawn to sweat it out. Taker loved seeing the fear in a mortal's eyes and he fed off of its delicious aura. He finally let go of Shawn's chin moving away from him. He paced the room for a few seemingly ignoring Shawn who dared not move- at least not yet. Five minutes then ten minutes passed before the heavy boots of the Undertaker stilled and his eyes locked with Shawn's once more. "I already own a piece of your soul Shawn and it's the most precious of them all."

_Then why are you here dammit? _Shawn dared not say this aloud as well. Instead he held his tongue deciding that he was probably on a "need-to-know" basis with Taker. That much he did not mind so long as it meant he would not be getting these frequent visits from one of his mortal enemies.

"Two weeks ago while you were out playing with your new hunting friends, I challenged Hunter to a rematch at Wrestlemania, but he disrespected me by simply walking off without giving me an answer. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for he was in the middle of doing his job and I rudely interrupted." The Undertaker took off his hat brushing it off as he continued to speak, his voice echoing about the room. "I let the incident slide and the very next week the same question was posed to him and the response I received was unacceptable. Hunter refuses to face me at Wrestlemania and there isn't a soul left in that company worthy of putting me to rest except him and he knows it. If I cannot get what I want nicely, I will resort to other methods Shawn until he agrees to take his rightful place as my opponent in a few weeks."

Shawn wasn't sure if he should speak up or not. However, what Hunter did at work had absolutely nothing to do with him. Sure they were best friends, but whenever they were together business never entered the conversation. That's why Shawn did not understand why he was being roped into the discussion. Last year he couldn't help but attempt to talk Hunter out of it and it sounded like Hunter got enough of Taker last year to last him a lifetime. That should have been good news except that when Taker was unhappy, it did not usually bode well for those he were unhappy with. "I'm sorry to hear that Taker, but I fail to see how this has anything to do with me. I have not spoken to Hunter in weeks and if he won't face you then I assure you it's not because I talked him out of it."

Amidst Shawn's explanation, the Undertaker began to chuckle. "Oh but you see Shawn, this has everything to do with you." Taker put his hat back on and motioned for Shawn to come closer. "Come. Sit. I mean you no harm for the time being."

Shawn did not like the sound of that at all. He cut his eyes towards the crossbow seated comfortably at his feet, but he was too nerved up to even think about using it so he cautiously crossed the room, arms folded over his bare chest and took a seat at the end of the bed, not liking how Taker was standing ominously over him. Shawn stared at his feet and in the back of his mind he was already making plans to choke Hunter.

"You are his best friend Shawn. The two of you are so close that you could have been soulmates if it were not for your massive egos. Your souls often dance as if they are but one. It almost saddens me to know that such a fitting union will go to waste." Taker looked down at Shawn, reaching out to cup the side of his face. "Look at me."

Shawn raised his head wishing Taker would stop toying with his fear, but he knew all too well that Taker was a master at head games. Shawn used to be well enough to hang with him and combat him with little head games of his own, but he was beyond that now. That part of him was lost after his final defeat two years ago. "What do you want from me?" he asked quietly.

Taker's lips curled into a small smile though it wasn't exactly pleasant. "You are a smart man despite the blonde strands that make up your fine hair." The gloved hand moved to twirl a strand of Shawn's hair, moving pieces of his silky locks behind his ear. "Do your best Shawn. I'd hate to resort to other means." Taker extended a hand pulling Shawn to his feet, looking down upon the now humbled individual. "You should sleep now." Taker wiped a hand over Shawn's face, the blonde's eyes closing and his body growing limp falling into Taker. The Lord of Darkness lifted him into his arms bridal style and laid him on the bed. With one last stoic glance at the blonde, the Lord of Darkness disappeared amidst the darkness. He would get what he wanted and Shawn was most certainly the key to it all.


	2. Meditating

**AN: I would like to thank the four people who reviewed the first chapter: JadeRose1, Esha, KMysteriousFlo, and Therm. I still don't know if I want to continue since technically I'm retired. After writing "Heart to Hart" really, no one can blame me. However, Shawn's usually the inspiration for any and all my fics so the constant mentioning of his name sort of triggered some old musings from old RPs between me and friends. You should know that chances are I'm going to deviate from whatever the WWE has planned simply because it's a supernatural story and since I have no idea who will win at Wrestlemania, it's impossible for me to plan the exact ending unless I wait six weeks...which I'd rather not due to other obligations and fics from two accounts that I need to finish up. Anyway, here goes another chapter. **

**~x~**

SMF II

Shawn was stirred awake the next morning by his pet wolf licking the palm of his hand. He groaned, not really wanting to get up but judging by the way the sun shined so brightly, he knew he had overslept. He yawned, pushing himself up in bed leaning against the headboard. "Aww morning Tyler." Shawn petted the wolf's head earning an approving nudge from the animal. It hopped on the bed and laid at its master's feet quietly watching him. Shawn smiled at the only thing close to a companion that he had these days. Only on mornings like this when he overslept and woke up alone did he ever miss the contact of another human being. At least when he was on the road, he could always wake up next to his best friend or John Cena, who sort of took Hunter's place for a year due to an injury Hunter suffered.

But now that Shawn was retired, he was living a peaceful life of solitude with no companion at all. It was fine most days for he had his hunting buddies to keep him busy. He loved the outdoors and aside from wrestling, nothing beat the feel of cool air whipping through your hair as you fired crossbows hitting your target each and every time with precision. Shawn loved it.

He finally got out of bed shuffling out of the room towards the kitchen. As he walked the hall a chill overcame him and he was suddenly reminded of last night. He stopped dead in his tracks looking wildly about the sunlit house for signs of the Undertaker, but he was long gone- or so Shawn presumed. He made his way into the kitchen fixing himself a cup of coffee as images of last night popped into his head. Taker...

He had not seen him in almost a year and time had been awfully kind to him. He looked relatively the same and still very gorgeous yet intimidating. It made Shawn wonder what kind of a high he had been on that made him even think he could defeat the Taker. It was laughable. He leaned back against the counter as he thought roughly to the end of his final match and how Taker looked down upon him with those cold, green eyes. The look on Taker's face was a mixture of pity and triumph. With a final Tombstone Shawn's fate had been sealed and some time that night, he was dragged to the Undertaker's secret place in order to pay off his debt, much like all the others who had fallen before the Undertaker.

Shawn could only remember bits and pieces because during the match he had exhausted himself. The match took so much out of him that once he made it backstage, he had to be helped out of the arena by Bradshaw and Farooq. Normally the idea of being helped out by anyone was a cool thing, especially to a veteran like him but everyone knew F and B were Taker's friends. Or as Shawn found out later they were more like servants or minions. They helped him into a black SUV lying him in the backseat before driving off to some unknown location. Shawn figured he had fallen asleep at some point because when he came to, he was chained against a wall in what looked like a dungeon of some sort.

Shawn brushed the thoughts of that night aside to focus on the matter at hand which was Hunter's refusal to face Undertaker in a rematch. The fact that Hunter refused made absolutely no sense especially since Hunter's ego was very much like his own as Taker so rightfully pointed out last night. Shawn wanted to desperately put the final exclamation point on his career by bringing the Undertaker down with him, but even with two shots at it, he had failed. Hunter got so mad about the loss that he decided to challenge Taker last year- partly out of revenge and partly to stroke his own ego. To the wrestling world Shawn was known as the greatest of all time, but in Hunter's head, if he could end the streak then maybe he would get the respect he deserved rather than being known as Shawn's sidekick in the history books. The idea that Hunter was just his kickstand or Robin always annoyed Shawn because never once in his career did he see Hunter as just some sidekick. They both couldn't be WWE champion, but that never stopped Shawn from treating Hunter as an equal and when Shawn returned from a five year absence, he never once tried to steal Hunter's well deserved spotlight. He stayed in the shadows for the next ten years until it was time to walk away.

But Shawn didn't just want to walk away humbly. Even though he was a changed man there was still that part of him that craved the feeling of eternal glory so to speak. He never quite felt like he accomplished that and after soul searching for many months he concluded that the only way he would ever get that sense of accomplishment was by defeating the one guy no one had ever been able to defeat in a big match situation- the Undertaker.

But getting a match against Taker was easier said than done. The man flat out refused him in the beginning, but after a little coaxing he had managed to talk Taker into it by reminding him that he had never beaten him in a one on one match. That's right. Shawn had faced Taker twice before he broke his back in '98 defeating him both times. That struck enough nerves in the Phenom's body to grant him a match; a match that Shawn used to replay over in head for hours, remembering move after sweet move. It was a match of perfection where one moment of massive ego swelling became the mistake that cost him the match. The ending left such a bitter taste in his mouth that it nearly drove him insane. The rematch he had against the Deadman the very next year ended just the same and Shawn knew then it was time to walk away. As promised he let that be the end of his legacy and while he didn't win, to the fans, it was an effort worthy of immortality which brought him back to Hunter's situation.

Hunter also lost his match against the Undertaker, but much like Shawn, it was not because Taker was just that much stronger. Or maybe he was- at least on this night- but it was Hunter who left the arena on foot while Taker was rolled out due to his inability to walk afterwards. Hunter did something no one else had been able to do which was literally hurt Taker to the point where he physically could not go on. It was such a feat that left Taker so exhausted that Shawn never once heard Hunter mention any creepy happenings following the match. Then again Shawn never exactly told Hunter what happened with Undertaker after his final match as well, but why would he? Very few people would believe him anyway and if they did, they would probably pretend like it was all a lie. Most people who feared certain situations or things often resorted to denial to make themselves feel better- Shawn too- but this was one time that denial wasn't helping. He knew everything he saw- had experienced that night- was real and he had the scar to prove it.

Shawn glanced down at his palm, the mark of the Undertaker burning through his flesh. He knew what he had to do so without further delay, he picked up his phone giving John Laurinitis a call. He really didn't want to but then, if he had been spared then maybe in the end, Hunter would be too.

**~x~**

Hunter sat behind his desk at corporate headquarters, his elbows propped up and his head resting on them as he stared off into space deep in thought. The last month or so on the job had been pretty rough and with John Laurinitis fucking up every week it only gave Hunter more work to do. On top of having a loose cannon temporarily running Monday Night Raw, the Phenom aka WWE's resident lunatic had finally decided to grace everyone with his presence after disappearing without a trace for an entire year. He, the Undertaker and lunatic extraordinaire, decided to make his triumphant return in the midst of a very important employee evaluation Hunter was conducting. Taker rudely interrupted because for some reason, Taker had been led to believe he was above all the other WWE employees, but not to Hunter. For Hunter, Taker was just like everybody else only he was older.

There was a knock on his door and then it was pushed open. A small, mousy looking lady came in handing Hunter a small package before hurrying out of the room, not wanting to get yelled at by Hunter. He snatched up the box, tearing it open. Inside was an unmarked DVD, but he already knew who it was from. Hunter tossed the DVD aside leaning back in his chair with a deep frown on his face. The Undertaker was always getting what he wanted, but not this time. Hunter refused to face the elder man in a rematch. Not because he didn't want it, but because he stubbornly refused to be the one to put the tombstone over then end of a legacy and a generation all in one breath. The idea of being the lone survivor in this company both angered and saddened the COO, but like everything else in this world, eras end and new ones begin.

Hunter looked towards the window. His blinds were shut tight yet a hint of light was seeping over the very top of the blinds indicating a beautiful afternoon. Before long the sun would finally set and it would be time to pre for another Monday Night Raw. No doubt the Undertaker will make his presence known in some form or another and once again he will be denied that which he wants. Much like his best friend, he never feared the Undertaker- at least not until that very moment when he was staring at you from the other side of the ring, his cold eyes boring a hole through you as if leering into your soul. That was a feeling that made even the hairs on the back of the Game's neck stand, but all the rest was _hocus pocus_ mind games that only a fool would fall for. As a master of mind games himself, Hunter found it extremely hard to take the Undertaker seriously anymore. After their match last year he exposed Taker for what he truly was- just another man. He can be beaten, bloodied, and rendered physically incapable of working just like any other in the WWE and now that Hunter knew that first hand, he would not allow himself to get swept up in things like "securing one's legacy". He didn't need that final stamp anyway because as COO and future head of the WWE, that alone would be his legacy and it was one to be damn proud of.

He checked his watch noting that it was time to get the show on the road. He took one final glance at the DVD that was tossed aside deciding that he would not watch it. If he was correct in his guessings then that DVD was just another one of Taker's obsessive video packages highlighting their epic rumble from last year. Hunter didn't need reminding because he was haunted by that very match every night since then. He of course, would never tell anyone this. He didn't need people thinking that he truly feared the Undertaker. Instead, Hunter looked upon the nightmares as just a chilling reminder of how he beat the Deadman in his own game. Hunter fixed his tie, grabbed his keys then left the office forgetting all about the one called Undertaker.

**~x~**

The Undertaker sat in his chair, eyes closed as he mused over the current COO and his future opponent at Wrestlemania. Hunter still was being stubborn, but Taker knew that in the end, Hunter would give in for the Undertaker always got what he wanted. This Wrestlemania would give the Undertaker a chance at immortality and he be damned if Hunter denied him the final piece of the puzzle. Twenty years it's taken him to get to this point but they say obtaining great power takes time and he could wait a little longer except time was almost up.

Taker stretched out his arms before him groaning slightly from the stiffness. This body was becoming weaker each and everyday. Before long this body would probably disintegrate into ashes leaving only his soul behind in the precious urn that Paul Bearer once carried around for him. He lowered his arms, grunting slightly from the pain.

"Master do you need something?" Bradshaw or JBL, had been watching from afar but the moment he sensed his master's discomfort, he rushed to his side, dropping down on one knee with his head bowed low. For many years he was allowed the freedom from this burden, but now that he was retired it was only fitting to see his former master gain immortality and who knows? Maybe he would get something out of the deal as well for the Undertaker had always been good to him and his best friend Farooq.

The Undertaker waved him off and with a curt nod, Bradshaw disappeared back into the shadows and out of his master's way. Taker opened his eyes looking about his room or lair. Red carpet covered the dank, dungeon floor but the walls remained bare except for the occasional portrait of Taker's choosing, chains and shelves that held various spell books for dark rituals. In the center of the room on the floor was a hand drawn pentagram that would always be there should Taker need it and these days he was using it quite often to keep from killing over. On the far right of the room was a casket. At both ends of the casket were tables with various oils and scented candles that burned brightly, the embers dancing before Taker's resting place. The far right side of the room had a day bed that Farooq and Bradshaw often shared whenever the Undertaker needed looking over after some dark ritual. There was also a table in the room where bodies were taken for experimentation or torturing purposes, but such a table hadn't been used in many years. There was something in the Undertaker that took over him and allowed his good side to stay in control all of the time. It wasn't until he was almost defeated by Hunter did that good side have a hard time staying put. Like now when Taker thought of Hunter, all he could picture was bashing his brains in with the very sledgehammer that was used against him last year.

He brushed the thought as he reached over to his left side, placing his hand atop of the urn. It never left his side most days for the key to his very existence lied within the urn. However, not having a Carrier was beginning to get troublesome, especially these days when the other him was being more pushier than usual. Normally that would be his little brother, but at the moment his brother was busy with his own affairs involving John Cena so for now, he wouldn't have to worry about him interfering so much.

As he tapped the side of the urn his thoughts drifted to the other blonde, the one who's fiery defiance and humble ending touched him enough to spare his soul. His entire soul alone may have very well been enough to bring him immortality, but on the other hand, Shawn's defeat gave him a power he probably did not know he had awakened and Taker wasn't going to divulge such precious information, especially since he needed Shawn to do his bidding. With a cruel smirk he opened his palm tracing the symbol tattooed in his palm. He could not see nor hear Shawn, but he could feel him reacting to the pain. He closed his eyes relishing the feel of Shawn's soul connected to his own. The little bit of his light; of his spirit gave him peace and he closed his eyes drifting off into a deep sleep, waiting and biding his time


	3. Collecting a Debt

_"Look me in the eye and tell me no. Tell me you don't want to end the Undertaker's streak."_

_"No."_

Shawn stood backstage in the break room sipping on a bottle of water. In his mind he was replaying the conversation with Hunter from the ring trying to decide which parts were for show and which parts may have held some truth to them. The problem with deciding is that he couldn't help but feel as if Hunter had worked up a shoot out of him and that's not what he wanted at all. It was never Shawn's intention to call Hunter out just to insult the decisions he's made in recent years. Shawn no longer cared what Hunter did or who he was doing it with so long as his on again off again best friend was happy and at peace. Shawn did not get the impression that Hunter was happy at all and after their talk it had Shawn questioning where their friendship stood.

He and Hunter were always at each other's throats about something or another, but usually one or the other would come forth, apologize and things would go back to normal. Water under the bridge as one would say, but Shawn knew Hunter was seething and after Hunter accused him of wanting to live vicariously through him, Shawn absolutely refused to apologize. If he himself truly wanted to challenge the Undertaker, he would go back on his word and do it himself, but he simply could not for a man's word was everything in this business and life in general. To go back on your word made you less than a man and while Shawn could be in private aspects of his life, on screen and in the public's eye he would not be labeled as liar. That ship sailed with Montreal and he would not be going back there again.

Shawn could feel the burn in his hand and he all but hissed out loud from the pain. He peeked at his hand in time to see the Undertaker's mark appear, the dark mark pulsating uncomfortably in his flesh. He closed his eyes thinking back to the night he received such a mark never realizing he'd be forced to feel its burn all over again.

**~x~**

Shawn opened his eyes slowly, the sweet smell of incense filling his lungs. As he struggled to stand he realized that his arms had been chained against the wall. _What the…? _He tugged at the chains hard, a slight panic building up inside of him until a cool hand touched his shoulder.

"You should calm down. You won't be here long." It was John Layfield, the guy who retired just one year before him. His hair was considerably shorter but still very clean cut. By day John could often be found on the golf course, but apparently by night he was here- where "here" was. As Shawn's eyes roamed the place, all he could tell was that he was in some basement or dungeon type place that had been transformed into a liveable room unless you counted the coffin which was giving Shawn the creeps.

"John, wha- what is going on?" he asked. He tugged at the cuffs around his wrists that chained him to the wall and gave John a pleading look as if asking for help, but John merely bowed his head stepping away.

"He'll be with you shortly to collect his debt."

"Collect his..." Shawn's voice trailed off as he stared at John in confusion. Surely this was all some kind of big joke set up by Hunter right? Shawn was tired of standing, the fatigue from his match kicking in once more so he slid down the cool wall sitting on the floor leaning back. He allowed his eyes to close once more trying not to panic too much. This wasn't right and he was pretty sure kidnapping was illegal though he doubted men were kidnapped very often, especially men of little importance to society. Sure he had lots of money but not nearly as much as say Vince McMahon. Nevertheless he tried not to think about how very wrong this felt and instead focused on this being a sick joke until the heavy scent of incense put him back to sleep.

When Shawn came to once more, he was laying on a rug in the middle of the floor. All around him were small candles forming a circle around him. Confused he tried to sit up but he could not. He looked down and began to panic for there were no chains or belts holding him down. He just could not move his body for some reason. "J- John!" he cried, though weakly for there was no sound of life about the room and he was afraid that something sinister would appear. Soft footsteps could be heard approaching from behind but since he could not move anything but his eyes, he was unable to see who or what was approaching.

"Funny how you were so defiant in the ring hours ago yet here you are reduced to something reminiscent of a small child, afraid of the boogyman who lurks in the darkness."

That cold, calculating voice was familiar yet that did not bring him relief. Instead he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as the Undertaker got closer. "Please," he whispered. "Don't... I don't understand. Why can't I move? What's going on here? I thought..." His voice trailed off as Taker's body came into view. The Deadman stood over his body looking down with an almost cruel smirk on his face.

"Your soul is mine Shawn."

**~x~**

The door of the break room burst open and Shawn jumped closing his hand, but at the sight of a livid Triple H he merely turned away reaching for a donut. He was careful to keep the mark hidden because if asked about it, he really wouldn't know how to explain it and Hunter wasn't the most open minded of people when it came to the unexplainable.

"How _dare _you Shawn," he growled lowly, looming in on him. "You dare show up to my show and embarrass me like that? What the _hell _were you thinking? I'm the goddamed COO and I know we're pals and all, but don't think for one second that you're beyond having your scrawny little ass dragged out of this arena."

Shawn took a bite of his donut pretending to ignore Hunter when in reality he was hearing every word and seething on the inside. Embarrass him? Why on earth would he do that especially now that he's retired? What would he have to gain by embarrassing his best friend? He sure as hell didn't want to work for the WWE anymore. The little promoting he did on the side is as far as it would go otherwise the company who's evil ways landed him a broken back and a debt to the Undertaker could suck it, quite literally too.

"Shawn, are you evening listening to me?" Hunter asked after a while, taking note of Shawn's nonchalant attitude.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Hunter sighed. "Dammit Shawn I'm tired of fucking arguing with you over trivial shit. You're retired so whether or not I face the Undertaker really ain't your business cowboy so why don't you run along home now? You're out of your league this year."

Shawn practically twitched at this, turning to face Hunter with a scowl on his face. "Out of my league? Oh that's real cute coming from the guy who failed just as miserably to get the job done too so don't. Let's not even go there."

"I got closer than you did sexy boy," he smirked, closing the gap between them even more. Shawn's eyes flashed dangerously, much like they did for an instant in the ring earlier and Hunter was loving it.

"You know what? I don't know why I even bother sometimes," Shawn said with a shake of his head. "I just thought at the end of the day you'd still be that same old egomaniac that you're turning into each and every day that you run this dying ship, but I guess I was wrong about you."

Hunter frowned, taking a moment to take in Shawn's words. "Wait a second. Did you just accuse me of turning into the old man? Into Vince McMahon?"

"Well if the shoe fits..."

"Oh...oh I see," he chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know what this is about, but it's your own fault there's no us Shawn. You chose to walk away from what we had and I chose business as usual, but don't worry," he said, patting Shawn's shoulder. "I'm sure John'll be there for you if you need him, just like he was when I was out with a torn pec."

"Oh for Christ's sake this isn't about us!" Shawn snapped, snatching away from him. "So you married Stephanie in order to gain power. Well guess what? I'm sure you were going to do it anyway because you've always been a greedy, selfish bastard obsessed with obtaining power."

"I learned from the best so don't you dare paint yourself as some kind of saint," Hunter growled. "You may have everybody else around here fooled but you can't fool me Shawn and deep down, I know you want me to do what you couldn't get done but it's not gonna happen."

"I don't give a damn about Taker's streak and I sure as hell don't give a damn about who you're with, but what I do care about is the fact that you're changing! It's like you're no longer the guy I used to know."

"One of us grew up Shawn and realized he has responsibilities-"

"That's a bullshit excuse and you know it!" Shawn snapped, cutting him off. "The Undertaker came to you because he knows you're the only one who can finish him off and it's unlike you to turn down a challenge. I had to end my own father's career because Ric made me realize that nothing's more disrespectful to a man than having pity on him."

Shawn got right in Hunter's face, their noses just touching lightly. "Now you listen to me," he growled, "stop bullshitting around and give Taker what he wants. You've got some nerve and audacity to tell me I'm the one who's hanging on to the past and what we had. Even if I was Hunter, you're doing the _exact _same thing right now by letting Taker suffer. For all you know he probably wants out and it's no secret that he's been wrestling in excruciating pain for the last three years. I've been there and I know what it's like."

"Letting him suffer? Shawn, now you're talking crazy. You act as if The Undertaker's gonna start killing off people to get this match. It's not that serious." Hunter shook his head. "He can wrestle whomever he wants at Wrestlemania, but it's not going to be me."

Hunter smirked as he leaned close so that their lips touched ever so slightly. Their warm breaths bounced off one another and for an instant Hunter thought he really was going to give in like he used to years ago. It was so tempting to just grab Shawn and kiss him for there was no doubt they would be able to work off some of that rage which could easily be turned into fiery passion, but right before Hunter could allow himself to slip back into that age old routine, he moved away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get home to my wife." Annoyed by the entire situation, Hunter left the break room seething.

Meanwhile Shawn needed a moment to collect himself before he grabbed his hat placing it over his head to hide his eyes as he left the room. Walking down the hall he was greeted by many, but they all chose not to approach especially since most overheard his shouting match with Hunter just now. Only one person kindly approached him and it was right before he reached the exit.

"Hey Shawn?"

Shawn turned, offering a tiny smile. He really wasn't in the mood but for him, he'd tough it out. "Hey John."

"So you're just sneaking away without saying goodbye to your old tag partner? How could you?" he joked, pulling the man into his arms for a brief hug.

"I'm sorry. You know I'm not one for hanging around. Aside from you and Hunter, I really don't have much of a reason to stick around you know?"

John pulled away, nodding. "Yeah I feel ya heartbreaker. Most of your crew's either retired or batshit crazy and in need of retirement. Or at least an extended vacation."

"You mean Hunter right?"

John took off his cap, scratching the back of his head. "Well…he's moody broody a lot but I can deal with old big nosed. It's Kane who's being creepier than usual and then his brother…" John put his cap back on flashing a big smile. "I ain't one to complain so don't think about it."

"Yeah well he is Taker's brother. I don't think they can help being creepy."

"Yeah, but sometimes I think they get too much leeway. Check it, no one told me Kane was gonna set the ring on fire and attempt to drag Zack to hell. No one told me that Kane was gonna beat the living shit out of me a few weeks ago after my match against Mr. Ziggles. Just…" John let out a sigh. "I'm startin' to worry that your boy ain't got a grip on his superstars. Sometimes I swear some of these folks have no boundaries. If it were anybody but Hunter, I'd feel sorry for the fool who has to deal with Undertaker. If the shit I'm going through- this not knowing- is the same you went through then God I'm sorry HBK. It ain't fair."

The mention of Undertaker's name triggered the mark and Shawn felt it burning into his flesh once more. It hurt so badly that he nearly cried out in pain, but he somehow managed to hold it all in. The burning… He still wasn't sure what it meant, but on a hunch he guessed that maybe Taker was looking for him and no doubt he wanted him alone. "I'm so sorry John. I hope you'll have better news when I come back in a week or so."

"So Hunter's gonna do the match?"

"I don't know. I think he should if only to make everybody happy." Shawn faked a very convincing yawn and it was just enough to get Cena pushing him out the exit.

"Go home and get to bed old man," he teased. "The next time I see you, dinner's on me."

"Free dinner huh? I like the sound of that," he managed, the friendly chat with a dear friend temporarily taking his mind off of the pain.

"Good. Well goodnight heartbreaker and for the record, only a fool would choose Stephanie over you." John smiled big before disappearing never knowing how much his words seemed to lift Shawn's spirits.

Shawn pushed the exit door open and was hit with a whiff of cool night air. He shivered for the vest was little help due to the short sleeves. The hotel was only a few blocks away so it hardly took him ten minutes to get there and inside his hotel room. The pain in his hand had worsened and by the time he sat down on his bed, he was nearly in tears. He held out his hand almost expecting it to start spilling blood like it had on that night when it was carved into his flesh, but all that remained was the blackened tattoo left behind.

Shawn laid back on the bed and with one hand he managed to get is jeans undone, kicking them off to the floor. He tossed his shirt and vest aside laying only in his underwear. _God this pain… make it stop… _He clinched his eyes shut, tears spilling down his face. He could feel cool air whipping across his body and he knew right then he wasn't alone. He opened his eyes to find the Undertaker standing over him, his expression just as stoic and empty as ever.

"Your tears confuse me. Do you weep for your lost lover or are you in pain?"

Shawn stared at Taker as a few more tears spilled over, mostly from the pain, but now that Hunter's relationship with Stephanie had been brought to his attention again, a part of him may have been feeling hurt about it. He and Hunter split up ages ago, but there were times where they'd push the boundaries awakening old feelings that never actually went away. In Shawn's case, he knew that if he could have, his lips would have been attached to Hunter's and maybe he wouldn't be lying here alone and in pain at this very moment. Shawn opened his mouth to answer but a sob escaped him so he clamped his mouth shut, the pain overriding his fear of the Undertaker for now.

The Undertaker reached out taking Shawn's hand into his own gloved one, tracing the mark with a finger. The pain instantly subsided and no longer did Shawn feel the need to fling himself into a wall. When Taker released his hand, Shawn wiped his eyes then crossed his arms over his chest not liking how exposed he was before the man. The Undertaker was eerily quiet staring down at him with those all knowing eyes as if he were peering into one's soul and Shawn did not put it past Taker to have that ability. After all, the man already owned a part his soul.

"He refused me again tonight."

Shawn inwardly cursed Hunter out again for being so damn stubborn. Last year Hunter was all for proving he was better than Shawn by seeking out Taker himself. That was another reason why Shawn just wasn't understanding why Hunter kept refusing. Even if he lost the match, Hunter still had his company to fall back on. He would still be Mr. COO so this whole denying Taker thing was just him being an asshole. That much he was sure of. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I tried to tell you he would not listen to me and why should he? We're friends but it's not like that anymore." Shawn rolled over on his side away from Taker and away from those eyes. He felt bad and right now he wasn't sure if it was because he was urging his best friend to fight a lunatic with powers or if he had failed the lunatic with powers. He was so confused.

"He is jealous of you Shawn. He pities me? I pity him for he is a man who has everything yet will never truly be satisfied for the thing that completed him most has slipped away. You Shawn, have slipped away."

"He's still my friend no matter what you say. I will not abandon him no matter what."

The Undertaker chuckled softly as he reached for a piece of Shawn's hair. "You abandoned him the moment you did my bidding."

Shawn rolled over on his back giving Taker a very dirty look. "I did what you asked because I was afraid for him. I don't care what you do or say, but I'll never just give up on him. Stephanie is his wife, but I'm the one who's been there for him through everything just like he's been there for me."

"You speak as if you have much choice in the matter Shawn. Tell me, do you like the idea of living as a soulless vessel doomed to walk the earth as an empty shell? Does the idea of living in constant pain every day of your life sound appealing? If so then that will be your fate should you choose to defy me. Remember, as long as you bear my mark you are mine." Taker studied the blonde closely peering deep into his soul. "You still care for him, but it is time to move on."

Taker reached for Shawn's hand bringing it to his lips. He flipped it over, palm up, so he could press a kiss to the tattoo. Pain shot through Shawn's body making him cry out then just as quickly the pain was gone. _I know you can hear me Shawn for this mark allows us to communicate without words. I can see into your soul and I know you still wish to see me suffer defeat at the hands of your friend for it's only your word to the people that keeps you from doing the job yourself. Keep trying to get through to your friend. It is because of you, my most precious of souls, that I may be willing to spare him as I spared you. _

The Undertaker dropped Shawn's hand then waved his own over the blonde's eyes putting him in another deep sleep. Shawn fell back onto his pillow, out cold for the night and with one final glance at the sleeping figure, the Lord of Darkness slipped back into the shadows disappearing.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: Believe it or not folks, a lot of this I'm not making up. You CAN'T possibly make some of this shit up. If you're not familiar with the Undertaker during his Corporate Ministry days, go look it up. Anyway, I could go so many places with this due to a great RP buddy of mine but due to laziness I probably won't. I'm still deviating from the current real life storyline because I feel like it.<span>**

_**Go read these fics:**_

_**"In Over Your Head" - Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho (and others)**_

_**"Your Eyes" - by neonaxelgrease - AJ Styles/Shawn Michaels (Because dammit its so good.)**_

_**"Their Final Confrontation" by Dark Kaneanite - Undertaker/Bret Hart**_


	4. Carrier

Hunter got up and eased out of bed careful not to wake his wife. He slipped on his boxers that had been tossed aside admit sexy time and made his way to the kitchen for the fourth night in a row. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge then headed to the living room sitting on the couch in the dark. He popped the top of his beer, eyes closing as he sank back into yet another nightmare featuring him and the Undertaker only this time Shawn was in it. Clear as day he could see himself fighting the Undertaker in the middle of the ring, both him and the Taker a bloody mess. Shawn was at ringside watching, not on his side but not on the Undertaker's side either. He was just there watching, his face showing signs of worry as he watched the grueling battle of titans. The end result was the same as the last three nights. Hunter would reach for his sledgehammer only to get caught in Hell's Gates. Unlike last year's match, Hunter refused to submit. In his dream he would always pass out while the Undertaker stands victorious over his motionless body, the lights turning purple as he did his signature pose. Hunter would be carted out of the arena on a stretcher while Shawn stood behind as if waiting for the Undertaker. The Undertaker's cold laugh would sound then lightening striking areas of the arena. There was always a piercing scream and then he would wake up. Hunter would always wake up in a cold sweat, the sound of chilling laughter ringing in his ears.

He downed most of his beer in one go seething at the dream. Three nights ago there was no Shawn and now all of a sudden Shawn was appearing in his dreams. The sad part was that it seemed as if Shawn's loyalties resided somewhere other than as one half of Degeneration X. Hunter knew that he hasn't been the most pleasant of people to Shawn. Hell one could almost say their relationship borderline hatred at times, but it often depended on the day of the week. So much has changed between them that often times they felt like strangers. Shawn stayed busy with his hunting while Hunter had a company to run. With Shane pretty much out of the picture, the brunt of it all rested on Hunter's shoulders. Stephanie had her fair share of work, but they also had kids now. It was unfair for her to work too hard when she could work from home and look after the kids and with Vince slowly backing away from day to day duties, it was up to Hunter to keep things moving.

Four nights of practically the same damn dream was beginning to get to him and for an instant Hunter even entertained the thought that Undertaker was responsible for these nightmares, but he knew that was impossible. These dreams about Taker were either stress related or a warning that Taker was going to be more persistent. Either way Hunter knew he needed to quit dwelling on Taker. Somehow, someway he needed to get that man off of his mind and get back to his old "business as usual" mentality. Undertaker was a king of mind games, but Hunter was no stranger to such games either. He built his career on manipulating people until he found himself married to the bosses daughter and one step away from owning a billion dollar empire. It didn't get much better than that. sure he practically sacrificed a friendship, but it wasn't as if he himself was entirely to blame.

Hunter got up tossing his beer in the trash. In just a few short hours he would get up and take a plane to headquarters. Undertaker wouldn't be given a second thought and neither would Shawn. "No more," Hunter mumbled as he quietly slipped back into bed with his wife, curling around her and falling back asleep.

**~x~**

The Undertaker's eyes came back into the focus, the whites slowly being replaced with those piercing green pupils that struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. He was seated Indian style in the middle of the pentagram, the candles dancing about all around him. He was exhausted more so than this little trick would have done to him some odd years ago, but he would not be young forever until he gained immortality and he was well on his way to getting it. He grunted as he unfolded his legs. Right away he joined at his sides by Bradshaw and Farooq who pulled him to his feet and led him over to the bed they usually shared.

"Master, do you need anything?" Farooq asked quietly.

The Undertaker shook his head. "I just need to rest and bring me my urn."

The two minions nodded before crossing the room returning seconds later with the golden urn which had somehow managed to keep its luster in all the years it had been handled. Bradshaw sat the urn near the bed before he and Farooq disappeared quietly to converse among themselves until needed.

Meanwhile Taker laid flat on his back eyes open though very empty looking as he stared up at the ceiling. Tonight was not one of his good nights and he could feel the darkness inside of him spilling over. He reached over placing his hand on top of the urn almost sighing in relief as the darkness was pushed back down into the deep recesses of his mind. It was getting harder these days to keep himself together. One could almost say he was beginning to separate into two or three different people and one was so dangerously dark that even he frowned upon some of his thoughts. Taker was no stranger to torture. Hell he tortured quite a few people over the years including his own brother, but there was a line. For instance, the fact that for a split second he entertained the thought of spilling more of Shawn's precious blood irked him. Shawn's blood wasn't needed for anything at the moment. Merely his cooperation in coaxing Hunter into a match and Taker knew after tonight's little nightmare, a gift he made specially for Hunter, that soon Hunter would break. The final piece of the puzzle would come Monday night. He knew exactly how to break Hunter for pride was man's biggest downfall; pride would be Hunter's just like pride brought down his ex-counterpart Shawn.

At the thought of Shawn Taker's eyes closed. The darkness had resided and was replaced with something else. Something that felt warmer as if there was life about it outside the darkness. Focusing his energy, Undertaker held tight to the urn before he disappeared, teleporting to the ranch where Shawn resided these days. Taker teleported right inside Shawn's house and inside his bedroom for that's where Shawn was. It was very late- roughly three in the morning- so Shawn was sound asleep on the bed.

However, it didn't take Shawn long to realize he wasn't alone. The mark in his hand began to burn just enough to kick him out of his slumber, his eyes fluttering open to see the Undertaker standing at his bedside. Shawn groaned softly wondering what the hell he'd done now to warrant another visit from the Deadman. These frequent visits were starting to worry him and he was certain he made it clear the last time Taker was here that Hunter wasn't going to listen to him.

"You do not look pleased to see me."

Shawn made a face that any normal person would instantly read as "Are you fucking kidding me?", but the Undertaker was not some normal person and most human emotions were still foreign to him. "I am neither pleased or displeased," Shawn answered quietly, choosing his words carefully. He figured with such a vague answer he couldn't possibly get in trouble. After all clearly Taker could understand why he wouldn't necessarily be thrilled to see him yet be okay with the fact that part of Shawn was pleased to see him, though "pleased" wasn't exactly the word Shawn would choose if asked.

The Undertaker didn't react much at all to Shawn's answer and simply glanced down at his urn, rubbing the sides of it. Shawn wanted to ask Taker what he wanted with him, but as always, something compelled him to stay quiet and just wait for Taker to speak because to be honest, he probably didn't want to know. For all he knew, Taker wanted him to do something crazy to get Hunter's attention and Shawn had his limitations. If doing something for Taker meant going against his religious beliefs, he would just have to lose his soul. Besides, he already made peace with God and was certain that maybe God had a spot up there in heaven for him someday.

_"Do you really think God exists?"_

Shawn blinked, startled by the loud voice inside his head. He wasn't sure if he should answer or not.

_"Answer me Shawn. It's a simple question and please, through the mind link. All you have to do is think it and I will hear it."_

Shawn was not sure how he felt about this at all. On one hand something like this would be useful in a crowded room for gossip purposes. On the other, the idea of Taker having access to his private thoughts was not exactly pleasing to know- at all.

_"I have not the time to read your mind and it is very tiring. Please answer me."_

Shawn sighed and after a long silence he simply thought, _"Yes."_

_"Do you believe in hell?"_

Shawn frowned at the question, but answered anyway. _"If one believes in Heaven then to say Hell does not exist would be a little hypocritical don't you think?"_

The Undertaker nodded in understanding, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was thinking of smiling but changed his mind at the last second. He moved closer to the bed setting the urn on Shawn's nightstand. Shawn glanced over at it, the urn's purple glow making him tremble a bit under the covers.

The urn... He could remember plain as day seeing it on that night he was rendered motionless on the floor. The only difference was that the urn was glowing brightly- like a white light illuminating all around it. Something caught his attention out the corner of his eye and he looked at Taker, eyes growing wide as he stared at him. He was glowing though instead of a creepy white like his urn, it was a grey color and it seemed to fit the Undertaker's demeanor which wasn't so sinister as it had been the first night he had come over. Now that Shawn thought about it, this was the first time Taker has visited him without his cloak and hat on. At that very moment he looked simply human even if Shawn knew better.

The Undertaker tilted his head to the side watching Shawn closely. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no. Nothing." He was too freaked out to tell the truth and anyway he never saw a person, even the Undertaker, just randomly start glowing so maybe it was all in his head. After all, it was nearing four in the morning. One could imagine all sorts of things at 4am.

The Undertaker did not believe him, but searching his mind would take more energy than he had for the day. He would just have to find out some other day. "Goodnight Shawn." Taker turned to leave. He was tired again and needed sleep.

"Wait! Aren't you- I mean you never even told me why you came over and- and you're leaving your urn." Shawn sat up in bed stretching, revealing his naked chest. He shivered from chill which didn't go unnoticed by Taker. Shawn's nipples stood erect but were now covered by Shawn's arms.

"You are cold. You should cover your body."

"Oh. I will... just..." But then he wasn't sure what to say so he did as he was told, burying himself back underneath the covers watching Taker as he moved to get the urn but then paused, moving his hand away.

"I am leaving this with you for there will be days when I am not myself."

"Wait. You're leaving that freaky, glowing thing here? But I don't- I mean what am I supposed to do with that? I'm no mortician and anyway that thing's freaky!" he exclaimed. He did NOT want Taker's urn or any other urn in his home at all.

The Undertaker reached out running a finger down Shawn's cheek. "Do not argue. It will keep you safe. Goodnight Shawn."

Shawn had little time to protest at all for like always, the gloved hand covered his face and he closed his eyes, falling into another deep sleep. The Undertaker watched the sleeping figure for a long time until his body grew weary once more. He hesitated to leave the warmth and the place in which he found sanity, but he ad no choice. He closed his eyes and then he was gone disappearing into the night.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: It's going to get somewhere...eventually. Special thanks to Reena for RPing her Taker with my Shawn and other muses. I still feel full of fail though. Also, special thanks to the wonderful ladies at LJ who read and left reviews. :)<span>**


	5. Sealing the Deal

**AN: I am deviating from the television storyline. Obviously copying it exactly would be against the law and secondly, since there's a hint of supernatural things then I really can't follow the storyline properly. Late update is late but better late than never.**

Set Me Free V

Shawn slept a little later than usual and it was most likely due to whatever Undertaker did to him during his last visit. Taker had this annoying habit of always getting the last word and Shawn would wake up the next day feeling like he agreed to something he didn't want. Not that he could actually disagree with Taker due to Taker holding his soul as collateral.

Shawn rolled out of bed, his eyes immediately rounding on the glowing urn on his night stand. He scowled at the thing, not liking the fact that he was now becoming Taker's personal item holder. "He acts like he owns me and this house," Shawn grumbled. He grabbed a quick shower and then after a small breakfast he spent a few hours in his gym doing some cardio, yoga and just meditating. All of that eased his tension and had him feeling like a new man for most of the day.

It wasn't until he was settling in bed to do a little studying that the urn started to get to him. The glowing was much brighter, so much so Shawn was finding it hard not to risk his life by touching it. There was also this feeling that maybe he should touch it despite not really wanting to due to its abnormal glowing. After all, Taker did say it would keep him safe. Safe from what? Well, he couldn't be sure, but it was hard to ignore warnings from a man who could steal one's soul.

He set his Bible to the side then carefully took the urn into his hands holding the urn in his lap. There was a bright white glow to the urn that got even brighter once he touched it, but after holding it for several seconds the blinding quality was reduced. Shawn wondered if he should open the lid but if there were really ashes inside, he knew he would freak out. He wasn't one for disturbing the dead at all and could definitely live without being haunted by an additional creepy entity.

He leaned back against the headboard casually rubbing the sides of the urn. His palm began to burn and he frowned, wondering if that meant Taker was nearby. He received his answer shortly after when Taker appeared at his bedside.

"Hello Shawn."

Shawn's first instinct was to be a smartass and make some little comment about how he would very much appreciate it if Taker would just stop randomly appearing, but he decided against it at the last second. "Hey...Taker," he replied slowly. He continued to stare at the urn rubbing its sides. "What can I do for you?" Shawn asked. "It seems every time you're here it's either to threaten me into doing your bidding or scolding me about something or another. Which is it _this _time?"

The Undertaker blinked, his stoic expression unchanging as always. "I have nothing to ask of you. It is you who summoned me so therefore I must direct the question back to you. What is it that I must do for you?"

Shawn looked up at Taker with a very confused look on his face. "Summoned you?" Shawn glanced down at the glowing object in his lap. "You mean this thing? My constant rubbing of this summoned you like a freaking genie?" Shawn rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

The Undertaker tilted his head in slight confusion unable to quite understand Shawn's feelings on the matter. Other than fear, all other human emotions often baffled him at times. He gently stole one of Shawn's hands from the urn flipping it over to trace the mark in his hand.

Shawn nearly jerked his hand away, but there was something in him that wouldn't allow it. He chanced a glance up at the mysterious man before him wondering what to say or if he should say anything at all.

"The symbol in your hand is what summoned me. The urn is merely a vessel for lost souls including my own which was lost some odd years ago." He released Shawn's hand going quiet once more.

The way Undertaker said all of that with hardly any feeling made Shawn frown. He was curious about the whole "lost souls" thing, especially Undertaker's.

_"If you wish to know something Shawn, do not be afraid to ask me. After all, you serve as my Carrier now. The least I could do is adhere to your concerns when I feel it is the right thing to do."_

"Your what?" he exclaimed. "Since when- and what the heck is a Carrier?" He was not liking the sound of this at all.

The Undertaker sat down on the edge of the bed, eyes closed as he responded. "You are the one who is keeping my urn and therefore you are my Carrier. Do you not recall the man called Paul Bearer?"

The name was familiar to Shawn and after a while he did recall the man who kept him from getting his ass handed to him even more at Bad Blood in 1997. Paul was the one who escorted Taker's brother Kane out to the ring. Shawn vaguely remembered because at the time he was laid out in the middle of the ring, bloodied and hurting all over from being tossed about the steel cage. Never in his life had he suffered so much before he broke his back completely.

_"You do remember him."_

_"Kind of, but I don't want to be your Carrier or anything else. I just want to be left alone. I'm retired now and WWE business doesn't concern me anymore. I wish you and Hunter would get that through your heads."_

_"Shawn, you are the common thread between Hunter and me. You are his most trusted confidant and because of this you are the one I need to help me get what I need from Hunter."_

_"I already told you. He's not going to listen to me."_

_"I realize that now."_

_"Then leave me out of it."_

_"I cannot."_

Shawn scowled, placing the urn back on his nightstand and began snuggling under his covers despite Taker being near him. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. It was never my intention to. The less I see of you the better," he grumbled.

Shawn didn't know it, but a slight pained expression was on Taker's face briefly before he instantly resumed his usual demeanor. The Undertaker reached out to touch Shawn's cheek, but he refrained since he wasn't quite sure how to act in this situation.

Shawn rolled over on his back staring up at Taker looking slightly annoyed, but just as quickly that annoyance changed into curiosity. The grey-ish light that cloaked Taker's body had now changed into a brown-ish color. Shawn stared at Taker for a long time watching as the grey completely morphed into brown. Shawn was sure these colors meant something and he wondered if it had anything to do with Undertaker's thoughts or something. It was hard to say considering Taker was never one to convey many emotions.

The Undertaker reached out caressing Shawn's cheek with the back of his hand, well aware of Shawn's thoughts, but choosing not to out him on them due to his reaction the last time. "What is it that you see Carrier?"

"N-nothing," he lied again. "Listen, are you gonna give me an order or not? Otherwise I'd like to get to bed early- and without the help of your creepy sleep mojo," he grumbled.

"I have no orders for you so goodnight Shawn. If you need me, please summon me. Your light is...comforting."

Shawn was extremely confused by that statement, but chose not to say anything. Instead he rolled over on his side away from Taker, closing his eyes. He doubted he would ever feel the need to summon Taker to his home considering he could take care of himself if need be.

"Shawn?"

"What now?" he snapped, rolling over on his back.

A large hand covered his face and once again he fell into a deep sleep. "I am sorry Carrier, but your thoughts are endless. My way is better for you." For a long time Undertaker stood over Shawn watching him sleep. There were moments when he often thought to poke at Shawn in his sleep, but managed not to. An hour passed before Taker found the strength to leave his side again. "Goodbye Shawn," he said quietly before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

**~x~**

By the time Hunter got back to his hotel room, he was exhausted. However, despite the late hour he still could not lay down to get some shut eye right away due to some contracts he needed to draw. He loosened his shirt and tie, kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed firing up his laptop. A cup of brew was on the nightstand next to him that he sipped on as he reduced salaries or drew up contracts with fixed salaries for Johnny Ace. The company as a whole was looking into getting one or two new guys from either OVW or ROH so he made sure to offer what he deemed was a fair amount of money. In his opinion, the guys should be happy with the TV time they would eventually get and the fact that they would no longer have to worry about forking over money from their paychecks for injuries. WWE would pay for all of that so in his mind as a business man, any amount of money that was at least twice what they were getting now seemed reasonable.

When Hunter finally finished the last couple of contracts, he closed his laptop setting it aside and began to settle in under the covers. There was a strong gust of wind that whipped through the room, knocking over the remainder of Hunter's coffee and the clock that was on the nightstand. "What the hell?" he grumbled, sitting up in bed and flicking the lamp on. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, sitting upright in bed. Is first instinct was to reach for his hammer or gun, but he was staying at a very secure hotel and didn't feel the need to haul around a sledgehammer. Simply put, that would have made him look like a fucking lunatic. "What the hell- no scratch that. How the _hell _did you get in here?" he growled, not liking this one bit.

He figured the night was just too good to be true when he didn't receive not even one tape from the creep asking for a rematch. Not only that but Undertaker was no where to be found tonight. Not that Hunter was complaining because in the last few weeks some of the others complained of feeling awkward or uncomfortable around the man which was unusual considering for many years, Taker, or Mark was one of the guys everyone looked up to in the back.

The Undertaker stood in front of the door, eyes hidden underneath the hat he wore. His trench coat was wet as was his boots which meant he must have got caught in the rain for it was pouring down heavily. However, it still baffled Hunter as to how exactly Taker got in unless he used a key. But the staff downstairs never would have given him the key and if they did he would buy this hotel and fire everyone in it Vince McMahon style.

"Well? I'm waiting Mark," he spat. "How the fuck did you get in here? Did you bribe one of the ladies at the front desk?"

The Undertaker finally looked up, his eyes white and pupiless. There was a loud crack of thunder that seemed to rattle the windows and Hunter nearly jumped out of his skin. It took the COO a moment to realize that Taker was probably up to his usual hocus pocus mind tricks. He cracked a smile staring the man down. "Hey man. You can stop with all the theatrics. Much like my buddy Shawn, I don't scare that easily."

The Undertaker's eyes rolled in the back of his head and then moments later his piercing green eyes stared back at Hunter. His face held no particular expression as he stared down his future opponent. "I want my match at Wrestlemania."

Hunter laughed at this, so hard that he nearly toppled over onto the floor. He caught himself by hanging onto the desk forcing himself upright. He put both hands behind his head leaning back against the headboard smirking at the Undertaker. "Well it looks like you're out of luck Mark because there won't be a match between you and me. My answer still stands so why don't you run along home now. I'm sure an old guy like you needs his rest." This made the Undertaker twitch ever so slightly and it didn't go unnoticed by Hunter. "Whoa-ho! Looks like I finally touched a nerve under that creepy demeanor of yours. I take it the idea of getting old doesn't sit well with you."

Undertaker didn't answer though his eyes seemed to darken ever so slightly, but it didn't bother Hunter one bit since Hunter wasn't easily intimidated by anyone, especially now that he was practically running the whole damn show. "Well we're all going to get old Mark so no need to look so put off. Why do you think Shawn left when he did? He saw the kind of mockery his father Ric was making of himself and he didn't want to be like that. He broke his back for this company once so in that sense, I respect him for putting it all on the line against you. I hate him for it sometimes, but I respect him for it."

"Then if you respect the man so much why not let him be the reason why you do what he did? Shawn challenged me twice. The first time I accepted out of duty, but the second time he earned the right to face me. It goes without saying that you did the same last year Helmsley. I answered your challenge and as a man, it's only right you answer my own. You should be honored that someone like me with my credentials and standing is seeking you out as the Chosen One."

"I should be _honored_? Don't make me laugh Deadman," he smirked. "I've already proven once that I can beat you. Hell I _did _beat you last year Mark. I left you a broken down old man that needed to be carted off by the medics while I walked away with a smile on my face. As the critics said, you won the battle but I won the war."

There was another loud crack of thunder and the lamp on Hunter's stand begin to blink on and off. Hunter frowned slightly, but did not let that phase him. He continued to stare back at the Undertaker with an amused look on his face. The Undertaker tilted his head to the side as he stared at Hunter giving him a thorough once over. After a long, sustained silence, the Deadman finally straightened his head, his dark eyes boring a hole right through Hunter. "I can see into your soul Hunter and deep down there's a slight hint of uncertainty. You boast to the world week after week that you do not fear me, but the reality is that you do. Unlike your buddy Shawn, you are better at hiding your doubts."

Hunter shrugged, knowing that Taker was right, but would never in a million years admit it. "Whatever helps you sleep at night after being rejected so many times Mark. If that's what ya gotta tell yourself then go for it."

The Undertaker's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I wasn't finished."

"Then please, by all means finish up so I can get some shut eye."

The Undertaker pondered his words carefully because if he said it just right, he would get that which he desired tonight. "When Shawn called you a coward Hunter, he was correct in his assessment. You see Hunter, you are letting a small ounce of doubt prevent you from claiming your destiny. That is why Shawn will always be better than you. He had many doubts when facing me both times and could not get the job done either, but he accepted his fate like a _real _man."

The Undertaker paused watching as the arrogant smirk on Hunter's face faded away. His smug expression was quickly replaced by a one of seething anger. Hunter's eyes were sharp and dangerous while his hands were clenched tightly into fists. The muscles in his jaws twitched each and every time Shawn was mentioned.

The Undertaker continued his explanation, but unlike his usual antics, he chose to mock Hunter this time, going out of his way to glorify Shawn as much as humanly possible. "A match against me Hunter should be easy considering your ex-partner's the _real_ reason why you almost defeated me last year. Shawn softened me up and then you swept in like you've always done throughout the span of your career and took the credit for what he did. Had he not put his career on the line, it would have been your darling angel that you let get away and the Deadman for a third time. He would have gotten the job done Hunter whereas even with his help, you still managed to fail. Our match from last year will never be talked about in the way that my matches with Shawn will be raved on for he was truly the best and should be the one I'm standing before right now rather than the lone coward he left behind."

"Alright that's it!" Hunter shouted. "I've had enough of your talking shit! You really want this match Mark? I should just beat the fucking hell out of you right now because you are treading into dangerous waters!" he growled. Hunter hated the idea of Shawn being better than him because deep down he knew that it was true. However, just because Shawn was seen as the better performer didn't mean Hunter couldn't get the job done. He and Shawn were two different breeds. Shawn often let petty emotions get in the way of business while Hunter never gave in to emotions. Emotions were best left out of business and since Undertaker was part business, then he would treat Taker like the little bitch he would be come April.

"Judging from your reaction, I take it that you have accepted my challenge."

"You damn right I accept but it'll be on my terms," he growled, trying very hard not to fling the lamp and laptop over at the pushy bastard.

"Very well, but if I feel the need to even the odds I will do so accordingly. Name your terms."

"We're going to do this in a cage. Hell in a Cell because I'm going to finish you Mark. I'm going to break every fucking bone in your body and after I toss you over the top, I will be the lone man standing supreme while you and Shawny boy sit at home wishing you could be me! I am going to end your career the same way you broke Shawn's back and the same way you sent my partner packing with no regrets last year."

There were things about Hunter's words that Taker did not quite understand. For instance, for someone who hated Shawn so much, his reasoning for accepting this match was partly due to avenge Shawn's loss. That hardly made any sense to the Undertaker, but he supposed he would find out the next time he saw Shawn, his light.

"Goodbye Hunter." The Undertaker nodded respectfully before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, that went noticed but unnoticed by Hunter who still did not believe in magic. The angry COO tossed the lamp across the room shattering the base before rolling over to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: Once again, I must thank Reena for RPing her Taker with me. Dark Kaneanite is also major inspiration for this as she was in on the shenanigans too. If you're a fan of Taker, Kane, Big Show, Matt Hardy or Edge, Dark Kaneanite has plenty of fics to keep you busy. Check them out.<span>**


	6. Breakdown

SMF VI

When Shawn overslept again the next day, he was a little more than annoyed. Once again the Undertaker had used his creepy sleep mojo on him and it annoyed him. Shawn was used to getting up at the crack of dawn working out for at least an hour then doing work in the fields. Every time Taker visited, he would use the sleep magic and Shawn would get a late start to his day. Granted he would wake up feeling refreshed, but he hardly cared about that at all. He wanted his normal routine back and he wanted Taker as well as Hunter out of his mind. That was easier said than done considering Hunter was still his best friend while Taker...well he wasn't sure about him. He and the Undertaker were nothing more than acquaintances at work. They always worked well together even up to his final defeat.

But instead of Shawn dwelling on all of this, he did his usual workout, pulled weeds in his gardens, and finished painting his fence. He played with his wolf for a bit but by the evening he found himself thinking about Undertaker and his last visit. There were so many unanswered questions and he was itching to get the answers to them due to his curiosity about Undertaker. However, he just couldn't bring himself to summon him to his home, especially after he was kind of rude to him the night before.

_I was rude to him? _Shawn frowned. Since when did he care about being rude to a man who ordered him around and collected souls for a living? He shook the thought then spent the evening watching "Criminal Minds" before sleep overcame him. The Undertaker did not drop in to visit him that night which made him happy, or at least he told himself that. He was able to get up bright and early the next day and immediately jump into his routine. The day was like a normal day on his ranch before Taker's involvement and by that afternoon he felt like everything was back to the way it should be. Even the urn seemed to glow less brightly. Either that or he didn't pay it much attention.

As happy as he was the first two Taker-free days, by Saturday morning he was thinking of Undertaker and wondering if he was okay. To take his mind off of the Deadman, Shawn decided to drive into town and do a little grocery shopping, but it only made matters worse. As he was going through produce, trying to pick out the freshest vegetables, a couple of ladies stood near him, each one glowing just as brightly as Undertaker glowed each night. It freaked him out and he all but ran out of the grocery store needing an explanation. He got in his truck and drove straight to the library on a hunch. He had heard stories of blind people seeing "auras", but he was hardly going blind. However, that was the only explanation he could come up with for the glowing and since he was clearly seeing things now, he might as well try to get an understanding of what he was seeing.

Once inside the library, it took him a moment to figure out where to look first but as if something was leading him to it, he ended up in a section of the library on witchcraft and magic. Immediately he came across so called spell books and other things that went against everything he stood for. He went through section after section until he finally came across a book on natural magical energies. On a hunch he grabbed the huge flipping through it a bit until he came across the word he was looking for: auras. He checked the book out to read at home, but not without the librarian giving him odd looks. He didn't let it deter him as he hurried home to shower and get comfortable for the night.

Once he was comfortably sitting in bed, he put the book in his lap flipping to the marked page. As he began reading over the text, he came to understand that every one and even objects gave off something of an aura. Most people who were able to see said auras were often sickly people suffering from migraines or epilepsy. However, the text pointed out that doctors and scientist alike who were skeptics about the spiritualness of aura reading, would often deem those who mentioned it as sickly.

Shawn was a little ticked about this considering he was certain he was in good health. He worked out almost every day and as far as he could tell, he never suffered from ailments like migraines, even when he was on the road all the time.

As he read on, he began learning about the different colors and their meanings. It would take some serious studying for him to remember them all for there were many. Some of them contradicted each other depending on where you read, but there was a basic chart and as he read up on the few basic colors mentioned, he was immediately reminded of Taker. The first time he saw an "aura" surrounding the Undertaker, it was grey. According to the passage, grey- depending on the shade- could indicate a person feeling trapped in their life, sadness and even depression. Brown meant confusion or discouragement.

Shawn looked up from his book thinking about Undertaker and how the colors described him. He supposed he could see how Taker might feel discouraged if Hunter kept blowing him off, but Undertaker didn't really need to face Hunter. The fans would be just as happy if he faced someone like Randy Orton so long as Taker's streak remained in tact, but according to Taker there was more to it than just winning at Wrestlemania; supernatural notions that Shawn found it difficult to process at times. As for Undertaker being sad or depressed, Shawn wouldn't know. Undertaker rarely showed any emotions aside from a smug smirk or if he was pissed off the muscles in his jaws would tighten but otherwise his expression was usually a stoic one.

Shawn closed the book stifling a yawn. It was nearing midnight and still no sign of Undertaker. He really thought that he wouldn't miss the random visits from the guy, but now that he knew what he knew, there was a part of him itching to see him once more in hopes of testing out his new...powers? He wasn't sure what to call them, but he was curious now about the man and what his aura would be like this time.

Shawn stared down at his hand frowning slightly. The tattoo wasn't nearly as visible as it had been a few days ago. He traced the outline with his finger, his thoughts drifting back to the night in which the mark had been carved into his hand. He didn't understand why Bradshaw was doing this to him and even now he didn't quite understand. He could remember thinking Mark was a complete lunatic, but he dared not go to the police. Who the hell would believe him anyway?

A cloud of purple smoke filled his room and when it cleared up, the Undertaker dressed simply in a pair of leather pants and a black shirt appeared at the foot of his bed. "Hello Shawn."

Shawn looked up nodding politely. "Hey Taker." Calling him Mark just didn't seem fitting considering his entrance.

"You summoned me. I hope I did not come over for no reason at all."

Now that Undertaker was here, Shawn was having doubts about asking him any questions. To be honest, he didn't mean to summon him over, but he would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't somewhat happy to see him.

The Undertaker's eyes rounded on the book in Shawn's lap and judging from the symbol it was a book on magic. "You did not strike me as a person to look into realms that contradict your position on Christianity."

Shawn quickly closed the book setting it on his nightstand. "Oh I just-"

"Something is troubling you Carrier." The Undertaker moved over to the bed taking a seat on the end with his back to Shawn. It was probably improper manners to speak away from the person rather than to them, but he was still under the impression that Shawn did not care for him very much and he was okay with that. At least now he knew. "Why are you reading books on magic and spells? I'm well aware of the details of Christianity and it forbids you to practice such things. There must be a good reason for your straying for you are of strong faith. Would it by chance have something to do with the funny looks you have been giving me lately?"

"Yes," he answered quietly. He looked at Taker taking note that his aura was back to the grey color from that first night and if the book was right then that meant Taker was sad about something.

"Then tell me Carrier, what is it that you see? What's troubling you about me?"

"You're...glowing," he answered quietly.

"Ah." The Undertaker closed his eyes thinking for a moment. If he wished to glow he would do so on his own so clearly Shawn was mistaken. He was not glowing but maybe Shawn was picking up on natural energies, something he expected after a failed attempt to tamper with his soul.

_"What color do you see Carrier?"_

_"Grey."_

_"I take it the book tells you what these colors mean._

_"Yes."_

_"I'd like to know more about myself so please Carrier, tell me about what you see."_

_"I'm...not so certain the book's explanation is right. It...says you're either depressed, sad, or feeling trapped in your life. I...you just don't seem any of those things to me."_

The Undertaker took in his thoughts remaining eerily silent for a long time. Shawn was beginning to think maybe he should have kept his mouth shut but then the Undertaker looked over his shoulder, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he wanted to smile but at the last second changed his mind. "You never cease to amaze me Michaels." The Undertaker stood to his feet walking about the room slowly as he spoke. "Depression is a word I'd choose not to use these days for I have become numb to the events of my past. When one is numb they cannot feel and therefore I do not feel depressed. Sadness... I have not felt such a feeling in years that I fear I may not know how to express such an emotion."

He stopped walking, turning to look at Shawn just as stoically as ever. "But your senses may be right about one thing. For many years a part of me has been trapped within me. Even as we speak there's a part of me longing to get out and harm others while another part of me has been trapped for so long that he wishes not to return to this awful place. I simply exist sometimes and nothing more."

The Undertaker could tell by the look on Shawn's face that he was even more confused than ever before. "Do not worry Shawn. As long as you have the urn I cannot harm you."

"But why would you want to harm me?" Shawn managed. "I've done nothing but everything you've asked of me."

"This I know, but you must understand that sometimes I am not myself. I...am not whole Shawn. I am a mixture of personalities that are having a hard time co-existing."

"Wait. Like schizophrenia?" he asked with a frown. If this was some kind of medical problem then Shawn would help him realize that it was nothing to be so dramatic about. There medicines to help with such a disorder and could help ease Taker's worries.

"It is something that cannot be diagnosed Shawn," he said simply. The Undertaker was beginning to feel weary and as he stood there watching Shawn, the part of him who loathed the heavenly being began to whisper in his ear. _Rip his head off... Make him beg... Teach him a lesson for his defiance... Make him hurt..._

The Undertaker rubbed his temples fighting back the urge to listen to that voice. He must not hurt Shawn. He must not hurt his Carrier. He must not...

_Grab him! Toss him in the wall and make him bleed! Spill his oh so precious blood for me..._

The Undertaker dropped to his knees, hands covering his ears as he tried to shake the voice. Shawn looked on with a slight panicked expression on his face. The light grey surrounding the Undertaker was beginning to fade into something that felt sinister in nature, so much so that it made him tremble with fright. His aura was red and the redness was outlined by another layer of black that kept getting thicker by the second. "Mark?" he called out in a shaky voice. When he didn't answer Shawn slowly climbed out of bed cautiously approaching the slumping figure. Taker was on his knees, head down and hands covering his ears groaning softly. "Mark? Taker? Do I- should I call someone?"

Shawn leaned over Taker, reaching out to touch his shoulder. The Undertaker did not move at all and continued groaning. Shawn was beginning to wonder if Taker really was sick and was seconds away from calling 911 anyway. But his spirit led him to stay at Taker's side. He dropped to his knees before him, clasping Taker's wrists. "Taker? Taker what's wrong?" Shawn carefully tugged Taker's hands away from his ears and when he did so, green eyes pierced his own blue ones.

"What is it that you see Shawn? Please...what color do you see?"

Shawn somehow managed to stop staring in Taker's eyes long enough to answer his question. "Red...and black, but I'm not sure-"

"Never come near me when you see those colors," he ordered. Taker slipped his wrists out of Shawn's hands then took the blonde's into his own, squeezing them gently. "Never come near me. Do you understand Carrier?"

Shawn did not understand at all, but to ease Taker's mind- for he looked extremely worried for once- Shawn nodded his head.

"Good." Taker, with help from Shawn, stood to his feet. "I must leave you now. I have stayed too long."

Shawn was feeling very conflicted at the idea of Taker leaving him, but after what just happened he knew it was for the best. He still had several unanswered questions and he hoped that he could get answers to them soon. Shawn climbed back in bed and as usual, Undertaker waited until he was nestled comfortably in bed. "Goodnight Taker. You should get some rest too. You look...tired."

"If that is what you wish then so be it." The Undertaker reached out to touch the side of Shawn's face, but he hesitated, remembering just how much the gesture seemed to displease Shawn. "Goodnight Carrier." He withdrew his hand and turned to leave, too shaken up by the unbalance to materialize. He would have to walk but the night was his friend so it wasn't a problem for him.

"Taker wait."

The Undertaker stood still with his back to Shawn. "Yes Carrier?"

"You can touch me. I…don't mind." Of course as soon as Shawn said the words he thought to himself that maybe he was going insane. Since when did he not care about the one who was trying to steal his soul touching him in such a way?

"That's good to know Carrier. Sweet dreams."

The Undertaker left the room closing the door behind him. When Shawn heard the front door open and close for the last time that day, he turned out the light and sighed staring up at his ceiling. Now that Taker was gone, he could relax again. Being around the Undertaker felt stranger than usual these days, especially tonight. It was as if he needed to be near him which was odd considering Shawn was pretty sure he loathed Taker outside of work. In the ring he was an okay guy, but the rest of him and his crazy hocus pocus were not Shawn's cup of tea. Still Shawn honestly felt disappointment when that cool hand did not stroke his cheek like all those times before. Maybe he had got used to it and it was natural to miss the gesture. He really didn't know nor did he understand anything about tonight, but he was certain by the next visit, he would hate Taker all over again. Shawn's eyes closed shortly thereafter and he fell into a deep sleep all on his own.


	7. Manipulation

**AN: Thanks for the reviews guys. Onward march...**

SMF7

As the Undertaker walked down the dark path away from Shawn's house, he found himself walking slower than usual. It was just one more sign that he needed to give it all up. But like most men, walking away from something you lived was hard. In Taker's case, it was a matter of fighting until he could fight no more. That is how he would go down, if he went down at all. One more win would give him immortality in more ways than one.

The thought made him chuckle and in an instant he was no longer the man who cared for the safety of another. Instead he was the man determined to win by any means necessary and if that meant dangerous mind games then so be it. He was too tired to do anything tonight but as he finally made it off of Shawn's property, he looked up at the night sky with a cruel smirk on his face. Tomorrow night the real fun would begin.

**~x~**

The next night Shawn showed up to the arena really early. He was asked by Hunter to come this week for some reason but because Hunter was still his best friend, he showed up anyway rather than staying home like he preferred. Besides, if this was about the Undertaker then Shawn really wanted nothing to do with it. Undertaker was already trying to drag him in the middle and that wasn't good at all.

As Shawn waited backstage in the break room, he was greeted by several superstars as they came and went between matches and segments. It was nearing the start of the second hour of Raw and Hunter still was a no show. Shawn frowned for he was beginning to get agitated. If Hunter wasn't going to speak with him until after the show then he could have stayed at the hotel until Raw went off the air. Standing backstage for almost two hours wasn't doing anything to help his nerves or his mood.

"Hello Shawn. Something troubling you?"

Shawn turned around, his face coloring slightly due to the closeness of Taker. He was wearing his usual stoic expression looking as intimidating as ever as he towered over him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Tired? Then why are you here?"

"Hunter asked me to be here," he answered. "I thought he wanted to use me on the show or something but it's been two hours and I've yet to see him."

"I can assist you in the matter. Would you like me to retrieve him for you?"

Shawn couldn't help but to chuckle at this. It sounded like Taker was offering to go fetch Hunter or to make him come when Shawn knew Hunter didn't take too kindly to being told what to do. "It's alright," he said, shaking his head. "It's not like I have plans."

"Very well Shawn."

Shawn stared curiously at Taker for a moment, wondering why he was actually calling him by his name rather than "Carrier". Instead of asking though, he let it go opting to just be thankful that he didn't considering people were in and out of the room.

Shawn felt a warm hand on the side of his face and he looked up meeting Taker's gaze. For a moment he felt trapped within those mysterious green eyes until the clearing of someone's throat got their attention. Taker slowly dropped his hand while Shawn jumped having been frightened by the sudden intrusion. But then he simply rolled his eyes when he saw that it was Hunter.

"I will see you later Shawn," Taker said simply before he left the room, Hunter's angry glare hardly effecting him at all.

"So why am I here?" Shawn asked. "I've been here all night and you were nowhere to be found."

"Does it really matter since you've been spending the evening fraternizing with the enemy?" he shot back, scowling at his best friend. "The two of you lovers or something?"

"What? No!" he exclaimed. "How could you even think-?"

"I saw the two of you," Hunter said flatly. "You were all dreamy eyed and focused solely on him. You're only ever like that when you see something...or _someone_ you want."

"_Excuse_ me? How dare you even go there with me!" he exclaimed indignantly. "You're not much better and for your information he said I looked like something was wrong. I was- you know what?" he asked, stopping mid-sentence. "I don't need to explain anything to you. You don't own me anymore." Shawn crossed his arms, looking very pissed off as Hunter's smug smirk only got bigger.

"Yeah, whatever Goldilocks," he said. Hunter looked around, glowering at everyone in the room. They took that as their cue to get going and without question they all high tailed it out, not wanting to risk a demotion or worse, a future endeavored meeting. "Now that we're alone..." Hunter moved past Shawn motioning for him to follow him to the far side of the room, away from the door window.

"This better be good Hunter," Shawn grumbled, not at all happy that he'd been there almost two hours for nothing.

"Oh it is. Trust me," he smirked.

Shawn leaned back against the wall, staring back at a smug looking Hunter. "Well?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm making you the special guest referee in my match."

Shawn blinked. "Your match?"

"Yeah, against Taker," he said casually. "Didn't your boyfriend tell you? I accepted the match a little over a week ago. It's gonna be Hell in a Cell." But judging from Shawn's facial expressions- which bounced back and forth between anger and confusion- Hunter guessed Shawn didn't have a clue. "Oh. Well now I guess you know."

"Yeah, I do now, but I ain't getting in the middle of it," he scowled. "I didn't ask to be apart of this and why the hell do you want me as the guest ref?" he asked hotly. "You hate me and aren't you still convinced I'm a huge egomaniac who's only concerned about himself?"

Hunter chuckled softly, closing the gap between them until he was close enough to press his body to Shawn's. "Shawny, Shawny, Shawn, Shawn. You got it all wrong," he smirked. He reached up to stroke Shawn's cheek but Shawn turned his head.

"Don't," he growled. "Don't play games with me. Why are you doing this to me? That man ended my career. You think I want to watch him end yours too?"

Normally Hunter would have let Shawn's words set him off, but whenever Hunter was in the middle of meticulous planning in his favor, he had to control his emotions and get exactly what he needed from his prey; prey being his best friend for the time being.

Hunter softened his expression, staring back at his friend in a way only a lover would. It wasn't very hard considering how close they normally were, even when they were fighting. Hunter could never not care about Shawn. Shawn could betray him at any moment, but the bond they shared ran so deep Hunter was positive- at least in his heart- that nothing could sever that bond. He'd dive into hell to save Shawn or even give up his life. Sometimes he wondered if he'd do that for anyone else, not counting his children. "Shawn..."

"Don't," Shawn whispered, looking down. Hunter's face was tearing a hole in him reminding him of what they had or what they could have if things were different. "Don't force me to do this."

Hunter was in "game" mode so any feelings he had for Shawn were temporarily suspended. Hunter was under a lot of pressure these days and after accepting Taker's match, he needed to make sure his insurance policy was in place. Shawn was his insurance policy. He wasn't sure if Shawn kept up with such statistics, but Hunter knew that historically he had never lost a match when Shawn was the guest referee. Sometimes it was because Shawn threw the match in his favor while other times it was just his good luck.

But whether or not his win streak with Shawn in his corner was based solely on pure luck didn't matter to Hunter. All that mattered was having Shawn there anyway, in his corner, cheering him on. He'd never admit it, but Shawn somehow made him fight harder. Sometimes it was just to prove that he could be as good as Shawn. Other times it was merely to show off, but most times it was just Shawn's loyalty and heart that fueled his fire.

Hunter raised Shawn's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "Look Shawn. I wouldn't ask if I didn't need you. This could very well be my last big match and you know it. I know we fight a lot, but come on. We've always been there for each other in the end so just do this for me alright?" Hunter pressed their foreheads together staring back into eyes that weren't supposed to effect him while he was working but losing the battle as seconds ticked by. "I need you in my corner."

Shawn dropped his eyes, heavy lashes falling beautifully making Hunter's heart stir. Shawn thought back to his final match with Taker and how cold it felt standing after it was over. He was all alone with the crowd and felt like his whole world was over. He was certain he'd have felt much better that night had he looked to his left and seen Hunter there.

But then just as quickly thoughts of Taker visiting him at night raced into his head. Those intense green eyes were staring back at him and right now, he reluctantly admitted to himself that maybe he liked those green eyes. Even worse was that he often thought of Taker in the mornings at home. It just seemed wrong to take sides, but he knew Hunter would never understand. Still, he couldn't. Something in his heart wouldn't allow him to commit to betraying Taker.

"Hunter, I can't screw the Undertaker," he said quietly. "I just can't. You need to win on your own."

But Hunter wasn't throwing in the towel because he just knew he had Shawn right where he wanted him. "Shawn, I'm not asking you to screw him. Call it down the middle if you want. Just promise me you'll do this for me." Hunter kissed Shawn's forehead. "My last big match Shawn. I kinda need my best friend to help me walk out when its over."

Hunter patted Shawn's hip, hoping he'd relax and watching for any signs of a breakthrough. Shawn looked pretty conflicted, but to seal the deal Hunter pulled Shawn close, holding him. "I won't ask you to do anything like this again. Just ref the match and make sure I don't kill myself is all I ask."

Shawn sighed, nodding his head in Hunter's chest. "Alright. I'll do it. I don't want to but I guess...I'll do it."

Shawn couldn't see, but Hunter's face wore the world's biggest grin for a few seconds before he returned to his act. He lifted Shawn's chin and pressed a kiss to his lips, not even thinking much about it. He knew if he thought too much he'd get angry about the way their lives took different paths.

Hunter rubbed Shawn's sides, pressing his back against the wall as he kissed him. He was reminded of a time when they were lovers and having that lithe body pressed against him excited him, but he knew there was a fine line he must not cross. When Shawn made a sweet sound, he forced himself to break the kiss and backed away with a tiny smile. "Thanks buddy. You're a real pal."

Hunter walked off and once he was gone, Shawn wiped his eyes and left the arena never realizing that Taker had been watching the whole time from the shadows.

**~x~**

Taker waited until Hunter got back to his hotel room before he made a move. He didn't like it at all that his Carrier had been brought to tears. That pissed him off more than the kiss, which baffled him more than anything else. Why on earth would Hunter kiss Shawn and why would Shawn reciprocate said kiss? Their history was one riddled with unbridled passion but for some reason they never worked out.

Taker watched from the shadows as Hunter entered his room. He looked exhausted, but that would hardly get him off the hook tonight. He waited patiently for Hunter to drift off to sleep before he closed his eyes, a wicked smirk on his face as he entered Hunter's mind.

**~x~**

When Shawn got back home he was a mixture of emotions. It didn't take him long to realize that Hunter had made a sucker out of him. He wished he could take back his promise of reffing the match, but he also knew Hunter made a good point which burned him up inside. If Hunter and Taker wrestled this match, one could very well seriously injure the other. From Shawn's personal experience with both men, Taker would die before he gave up his streak while Hunter was stubborn enough to push his body to the breaking point. He would not quit either unless his body quit on him. Shawn needed to be there to look out for Hunter and protect him. He and Hunter would never have a chance to rebuild what they once had as a couple, but Hunter was still his best friend. Hunter would always be the backbone of Degeneration X and Shawn would never, ever abandon him no matter what.

Shawn grabbed a quick shower and climbed into bed though he was hardly tired. Well his body was but his brain was in overdrive as he thought about two men- one whom he loved with all his heart and another who was finding his way into his thoughts more and more each day. As Undertaker crossed his mind, Shawn glanced over at the urn on his nightstand. As he stared at the glowing object he was reminded of the few moments they shared before Hunter interrupted. It was real sweet the way Taker seemed to be concerned even though he was merely using Shawn to help collect the last of his souls. Still, Shawn couldn't deny that he missed the familiarity of Taker's fingers brushing his cheek. He wasn't sure if the warmth was always there but tonight he definitely felt a kind of warmth that he more than welcomed. Maybe it was the feeling of loneliness he felt when he didn't have hunting to take his mind off of things or maybe it was the idea of Hunter no longer caring for him. He didn't know. All he knew was that right now he really missed the one person who at least paid him some attention these days.

Shawn quickly sat up in bed, a warm prickly feeling coming over him. He suddenly felt like someone was near or he was being watched- he couldn't be sure which, but his body was definitely picking up on something.

_"Very good Shawn. You sensed my presence."_

Shawn looked around the room for Taker but he was nowhere to be found. _"Where are you?"_

_"Do not worry Shawn. I am not inside your home. I am merely close enough to communicate with you. I do not feel well this evening so I spared you my presence."_

_"Oh...oh okay." _Though they were speaking through a mind link, Shawn still felt very bummed and it came through during the frequency.

Undertaker clutched his side as he leaned against the tree outside Shawn's home. Whatever he did to Hunter took a lot out of him tonight. He would have to be more careful. But though he was in pain, it was Shawn's answer that confused him. _"You do not seem happy Shawn. Have I done something wrong?"_

Shawn snuggled under his covers, letting out a small yawn. He closed his eyes picturing Undertaker for it was still rather odd to be speaking without seeing him. _"No. Aside from attempting to steal my soul you've been okay I guess." _He smiled hoping Taker would get that he was teasing. Sure he was still pretty shaken over the fact that Taker wasn't normal, but ever since he began seeing auras he decided that he wasn't exactly normal either and that was something they shared as a common bond.

_"My apologies Shawn."_

_"Taker, I was kidding. Geez. Lighten up a little okay? You're so serious all the time. Do you ever have fun?"_

_"Fun?"_

_"Yes. You know, doing stuff that you enjoy outside of stealing souls like bowling, dancing or watching movies. Do you ever do any of that stuff or are you the Undertaker twenty four hours a day and seven days a week?"_

The Undertaker did not answer for the longest time in which case, Shawn almost fell asleep waiting for his response. _"I ride bikes."_

_"Right. Bikes." _Shawn yawned, rolling over on his side. _"Tomorrow we'll ride bikes."_

_"You wish to ride bikes?"_

_"Yes," _he answered tiredly. _"I wish to ride bikes with you for fun. Tomorrow okay. Don't forget."_

The Undertaker was utterly confused by this development, but his Carrier was tired and so was he. _"Goodnight Shawn."_

_"Carrier. Call me Carrier."_

_"Very well. Goodnight Carrier."_

_"Goodnight Taker." _While the Undertaker disappeared into the night, Shawn finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber with a hint of a smile on his face

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><p><strong>AN: For the record, I really enjoyed watching those three at WM28. Great storytelling and overall emotional roller coaster. Good stuff. Also, final warning. Do NOT link my fics to your facebook or twitter. I will delete my account- the ENTIRE account- if I get another tip. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's my right to delete my shit when people don't listen. You've been warned.<br>**


	8. A Night Out

_**AN: Warning: I may have went a little crazy with the Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness. If you don't know what that is then I advise you to brush up on your WWE History considering it involves Satanic worshiping and stuff us good Christian folks may or may not be comfortable reading. In fact, I allude to some of it in this chapter so if you're dead set on not reading anything of the sort then you should probably go read something a little less historically accurate in terms of WWE factions. It even has its own wikipedia page now onward march...and remember my social networking rule-none of that.**_

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><p><span>SMF8<span>

Hunter did not sleep good last night at all and even though his wife claimed he slept through the night without so much as a snore, he still woke up feeling like he had been awake for hours. He knew what the cause of that feeling. Dreaming about Shawn did things to him and this dream was no exception. A lot of times when he dreamed of Shawn, it was always pleasant. Maybe they were traveling in the dream or reliving a past Raw moment, but the dreams as of late were getting stranger. They were not pleasant at all. In each one Shawn always seemed so distant, but the dream from last night...

**~x~**

Hunter, despite all the pain he was in, could not contain the big grin as Shawn raised his arm in victory. The crowd was shocked and he was getting massive heat from the eighty thousand people in the audience. He didn't care though. Their beloved Undertaker had fallen at the hands of the Cerebral Assassin, something that not even the greatest of all time-his best friend Shawn Michaels-could accomplish. Only "The Game" Triple H could take down the Undertaker and he would thus take the title of being the absolute best, for in order to be the best you have to defeat the best. Undertaker had been beaten and that left Hunter as the sole survivor of the famous Attitude Era.

Shawn released Hunter's arm and walked away, moving to check on the Deadman. Hunter stumbled over to one corner of the ring, propping himself up. The roar of the crowd was tuned out and after a while he slumped down in the corner, eyes closing from the exhaustion. When he come to, he was standing against a wall watching as Shawn was being tied to a symbol, a symbol that looked very much like the Undertaker's.

"Hey-hey what the hell is going on?" he called out. In his mind, he told his body to move, but when it didn't, his blood ran cold. He could not move-at all. It was like his body was being held back by invisible chains. "Hey! Hey Bradshaw? What the fuck are you doing to him? Let him go-and why the fuck can't I move?"

Bradshaw and Farooq continued to work quietly, meticulously securing Shawn's legs and arms to the symbol that was laying in the middle of the floor. Shawn's eyes were closed, but what stood out to Hunter the most was how he was dressed, which was in nothing but a white gown, similar to that of one you would get in a hospital.

"Hey Shawn? SHAWN! Wake up!"

Shawn still lay there without so much as a twitch as the men struggled to get the symbol to a standing position. Once the symbol was up, Shawn's head hang limply and while Hunter wasn't one for religious antics, he couldn't help but feel like this was something Shawn would definitely not approve of. He watched quietly as two other men entered the room. One he knew was Gangrel, someone he had not seen in a long time and the other... He could not remember him. They were wearing black cloaks, but their hoods were not down so it wasn't hard to make out Gangrel. _What the fuck are they doing? _

The men whispered among themselves parting ways when another walked into the room. From his height and the hat Hunter knew it was none other than Undertaker. His first instinct was to shout at him, yell obscenities all the while rushing at him. He wanted to pound his face in because now that he mulled over it, this had to be his doing. Creepy cellar, fake minions and Shawn tied to a cross? Yeah creepy Taker all over, but he could not. He couldn't move let alone find the voice to say anything more. He watched as Undertaker stood before Shawn, knife in hand as cut into his arm, dragging a knife a few inches down each one piercing the skin. Hunter's eyes went wide with fright as Taker stood back and the symbol was slowly raised into the air. The image that popped into his mind was that of Jesus Christ as Shawn's hair fell over his face and the blood ran down his arms.

_This is beyond creepy... _As if the Undertaker could hear his thoughts, he turned facing Hunter, a smug smirk on his face. He held up the blood stained knife running his long tongue over the sharp object. Hunter felt his body quiver...

**~x~**

Hunter took a sip of his coffee, face twisted in a deep frown. He told himself that he wasn't afraid of the Undertaker and he wasn't, but that dream did something to him. It was almost too real and the fact that Shawn was a little more than attached to his Savior these days made the whole thing unsettling.

Stephanie came up behind Hunter, hugging him. "Hey. I'm about to meet dad. We have another Wrestlemania press conference... are you alright?" She pulled away as Hunter turned on his stool, smiling back at her.

"Yeah, yeah babes I'm alright," he lied. He leaned forward pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'm just trying to wake up is all."

"Yeah, but you looked so serious just now. Are you sure everything's fine Hunter?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know that face and that face usually means trouble. You're not obsessing over the Undertaker are you? My dad says he's always been able to do what he wants. There's no point in trying to bend him to your will now. I figure in a year or two he'll be done with us anyway."

Hunter nodded. "Yeah, I think so too." He set his coffee cup down and hopped off the stool, grabbing his wife for a big hug. He kissed the top of her head. "I love ya babes. You go sell a couple of more hundred thousand Wrestlemania buys. I'm going to sign checks and maybe work out a bit later."

She pecked his lips. "Good. I'll see you in a few days."

Hunter watched his wife head out the door and after staring into space for a while, he snapped out of his thoughts deciding to first work out. He was still unsettled about that dream but it was nothing a grueling, meat-head power workout couldn't fix.

**~x~**

Shawn had no idea what time the Undertaker would be dropping by his house for their scheduled bike ride. In fact, a part of him had doubts that Taker would even show up, but Undertaker was usually a man of his word. He could not recall a single time that Taker went back on his word. Win or lose, Undertaker always held up his end of every bargain. Still, Shawn chose not to get his hopes up too much and spent the morning doing his usual routine. By late afternoon, he grabbed a quick shower washing off the sweat from a day's workout around his ranch and decided to lounge around in boxers and a robe until Taker showed up-if he would show up at all. The minutes ticked by and then hours. By 11 o'clock Shawn was flipping the television off and making his way to his bedroom when he felt the hairs on his arm stand. There was that feeling he felt last night only it was stronger. He whipped around finding himself face to face with the Undertaker.

"Good evening Carrier. Are you ready to ride bikes?"

Shawn stared at him for the longest time taking in his appearance. There was no creepy trench coat nor his signature hat. His hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he was wearing black leather pants with a black. tight fitting tank. Those green eyes looked as all-knowing as ever and his face... always the stoic expression making him hard to read. "I...yeah. Give me a moment to change."

"I do not think you should change. Come Carrier. Let us not delay."

Shawn looked down at his half-open robe. He pulled it closed, tightening the knot before he nodded. "Alright, but... the urn-"

"Bring it with you. I will wait outside for you." The Undertaker disappeared and as usual Shawn wondered if Taker was like this all the time. The mysteriousness was sexy to a degree, but often the scary overpowered the sexy.

As Shawn went inside his bedroom to get the urn he paused. Sexy. He just thought to himself that the Undertaker was sexy. Yeah, he needed some serious help. He grabbed the urn tucking it away in a knapsack before joining Taker outside. Taker was already ready, sitting on his bike of choice which looked very much like a Harley, but Shawn couldn't tell for sure since he was never into bikes. "I uh... should I sit...behind you? And please don't drive fast. I'm actually afraid of motorcycles."

The Undertaker revved up the bike. "Come. Sit behind me. Do not be afraid Carrier. You will not die tonight."

Shawn made a face because Taker was hardly convincing with his choice of words. Nevertheless, Shawn obeyed. He hopped on the bike, slipping his arms around Taker's waist holding tightly to him. When Taker was certain Shawn was comfortable, he sped off up the dirt road towards the highway. Shawn had his eyes closed the entire time because the dirt road was bumpy and really only fit for things like dirt bikes and trucks, but he would trust Taker. Not like he had much choice now since it was kind of his idea to begin with. When Shawn felt like they were on smooth surface, his eyes opened. He couldn't really see anything because Taker was going really fast, probably fast enough to be deemed "reckless", but it was easy to ignore when cool wind was whipping through your hair and the whir of the engine making you shiver.

He sighed, laying his head against Taker's back, letting his eyes close for the remainder of the ride. He didn't know where they were going and he knew that he probably should have cared more, but right now he didn't. He felt so free and what he was doing isn't something he normally would have done. It was spontaneous and reminded him of the way things used to be back in '97 when DX was first formed...and when he had Hunter.

The bike came to a halt what seemed like minutes later and Shawn opened his eyes. They were pretty far away from San Antonio, roughly an hour or so. He did not realize they had been riding for so long, but he wasn't going to question the man who once tried to steal his soul. He got off the bike looking around. They were on some kind of cliff and the cool air was giving him chills.

"Follow me."

Shawn followed Taker towards a big boulder watching as he climbed up it. He extended a hand helping Shawn up and once he was on top of that boulder, he realized they were near the coast. Several feet below them was a small beach area that was deserted. Not a sound could be heard except the crashing of waves against the shore. Undertaker carefully climbed down the rock, helping Shawn down as well. The rest of the climb down was slow, but by the time they reached the bottom Shawn was really glad he came along. It was beautiful. The darkness, the waves, the sound of the night, the cool breeze in the air, the smell, the stars-all of it was perfect.

He kicked off his sandals walking out towards the beach's edge, letting the waves crash on his feet. With his eyes closed, he stood there absorbing the natural energy around him without even realizing it. His body felt rejuvenated and his white aura glowed brighter than ever.

It was enough to make the Undertaker stand near him, absorbing that warmth from Shawn. It silenced the darkness in his heart as well as the dark thoughts in his head. After a while, Undertaker broke the silence. "I have come here many times before, but the effect was not as warm. You make things...warm."

Shawn did not understand that statement at all and it was written all over his face. The Undertaker however, didn't say much more on the matter so Shawn let it go. He moved away from the water heading closer to shore. He sat down in the sand watching Taker quietly. His aura was calm tonight. Shawn had given up trying to learn all of the complex coloring over the aura system and decided to use his gut instinct. Taker's aura was its usual dull looking grey, but Shawn felt warmth from him tonight. It was enough to make him feel warm and fuzzy about the man who once tried to steal his soul.

Shawn took the knapsack off of his back setting it behind him. He grabbed the urn out of the bag tucking it under his arm as he laid down, curling up next to a boulder. It wasn't long before he was fast asleep, the sounds of the crashing waves and Taker's warmth acting as suitable lullabies.

When Undertaker felt Shawn's energy still, he finally turned away from the crashing waves to stare upon his Carrier who was sleeping soundly. His face softened, the stoic expression no longer there. Instead, his face revealed something of a longing for the blonde man and with a sigh, he trekked over to him, sitting next to the still figure. He stared at him for a long time, his dark hair fading away. Every dark strand of jet black was being replaced by strands of red. He leaned over Shawn taking strands of his hair bringing it to his nose breathing in the sweet smell of his hair. His hand fell gently on top of Shawn's shoulder sliding over it and down a covered arm he longed to touch, but the robe acted as a barrier; a shield even because Mark knew that to touch Shawn would be heaven and he feared he'd never stop.

A low rumbled in the distance got his attention and he looked up towards the sky. Red faded into black and the Undertaker stood, looking up to the cliff where two men stood silently. _Get him home._

Farooq and Bradshaw nodded to their master then made haste to get down the cliff. They had followed their master and Shawn from a distance in his black pick up. Wherever Undertaker went, one or both were sure to be somewhere close by.

The Undertaker took his leave disappearing into the night, his minions left behind to do his bidding. Farooq and Bradshaw carefully lifted Shawn off the ground, with Farooq carrying him bridal style. Shawn barely stirred as he lay limp, urn tucked away safely in his arms. It took a long time for them to get him up the cliff and Bradshaw grumbled the entire time.

"This had to be some sick joke!" Bradshaw huffed, just as he made it over the boulder. Farooq carefully dropped Shawn in Bradshaw's outstretched arms, huffing as he made his way over the boulder to flat land as well.

"Yeah, well when has the boss ever been reasonable?" he joked light-heartedly. "Anyway, we need to get going before the master gets onto us."

"Yeah, yeah." Bradshaw stared down at the man in his arms, his face twisting into some kind of quaint curiosity. As he walked with Shawn towards the truck, he couldn't help but wonder. "Say Farooq? You think master's sweet on him?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe," he scoffed. "You _always_ say that."

"Because Master's a man of many mysteries. How can one ever know what goes on inside the minds of many?" Bradshaw looked even more confused. "Just deposit him in the back and let's get going. We've got a long ride ahead and I'm getting sleepy."

"Right, right." They got inside and drove off into the night.

Seemingly out of the shadows two hooded figures appeared.

"Are you certain Mideon that what you saw was that of the Other?"

"Aye, I am sure," he said quietly into the darkness. "He will appear and will consume the darkness in Undertaker's heart. Each day the pure one holds the urn is another day the Undertaker is weakened."

Grel hissed into the night, not liking the soothsayer's premonitions at all. "And what of that darkness inside the Undertaker's heart?"

"The one named Paul Bearer can draw this out for he was the Carrier before the blonde man," he said robotically. "If it is fate's will for Mark to come alive once more then there is nothing you can do about it."

"What if I find Paul? Or what about his brother?"

Mideon shrugged. "A soothsayer cannot receive multiple premonitions in a day. Find Paul and maybe the premonitions will change." He disappeared into the night followed shortly after by Grel, thoughts of his master, thoughts of Paul and thoughts of changing fate on his mind.

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><p><strong><span>AN: Short chapter, but eh, at least I updated. You know my rule about social networking-don't do it with my fics. Um.. reviews appreciated but eh, I don't beg.<span>**

_- wrestlefan4 is the greatest writer in this fandom. Read her fics. Review them. She is my master, my rival, I love her dearly. Support her. And tell her I sent you...so I can grin big when she scolds me. _

_- Yes, a majority of this chapter was inspired from roleplaying with some very awesome ladies. I love my RP girls._

That is all.


	9. Nightmares and Warnings

SMFIX

The rest of the week flew by quickly for Hunter. He spent the next couple of days signing checks and following in his wife's footsteps with press conferences and other media events. He didn't have much time to dwell on his nightmares which seemed to get even more gruesome as time went on. But he dared not utter a word to Stephanie. He didn't need her thinking he was obsessing because honestly, he wasn't the one obsessed-Taker was and possibly Shawn too, though it was hard to say these days.

He was looking forward to tonight's segment with both men because he planned to fish around for some information. Right at a quarter until show time, Hunter spotted Shawn coming into the arena. His hair was down with his usual cowboy hat on and he was alone, something Hunter did not expect considering he was beginning to think Shawn and Taker were in a relationship. Hunter waited until Shawn got past all the rookies wanting to shake his hand before he rescued him. "Shawn...my friend..." Hunter put an arm around Shawn steering him away from the crowds and up the hall until they reached office where he ushered him inside.

"We're hardly the friends we used to be," Shawn muttered. "What are you up to?" Hunter locked the door behind them, taking Shawn's arm leading farther away from the door so they could speak freely. "What Hunter?" Shawn snapped. "I already agreed to ref the match. I'm here aren't I? So why the secret meetings?"

"I just..." Hunter was never one to sugarcoat anything unless it was for tactical purposes that would work to his advantage. In this case, he doubted attempting any kind of bullshit on Shawn would work. His guard was up tonight, but there was no need. Tonight they would do the planned segment with Hunter tossing a few curve-balls their way and then that was it until Wrestlemania.

"Well?" Shawn asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Without answering, Hunter unfolded Shawn's arms, taking a hand into his own studying his palm. There was nothing there. No bruises. No cuts. No anything. Of course, Hunter didn't really expect to find any scars, but the dream felt so real that he felt compelled to put his mind at ease by checking anyway.

"Hunter, are you alright?" Shawn asked, snatching his hand away. He could feel his hand start to prickle which meant Taker was around somewhere.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said after a while, face twisted in a deep scowl. "Nightmares Shawn. Been having them all week."

"About...? And why are you telling me?" he questioned. "You and I have been rather distant lately. I was under the impression you didn't need me to comfort you anymore."

Hunter glared at Shawn. "Don't even-Yeah, we fight, but at the end of the day I'd still save your scrawny ass from a burning building and probably die trying so lose the inferiority complex alright?"

"I'm leaving." Shawn started towards the door, but then Hunter's quiet chuckle made him stop. He turned around wondering what that was all about. "Have you lost it? Like really Hunter. Have you gone mental?"

Hunter shrugged, still chuckling. "Naa Shawn. I mean... I guess I'd hoped you had some kind of loyalty about you. You didn't with Bret, but-"

"Don't you _dare_ go there," he said quietly. "Loyalty? I've been nothing but loyal to you all these years-"

"Yeah, maybe... after you cleaned up and went all Mother Teresa on me and by the way, how's that working out for ya?"

Shawn stormed across the room shoving his friend. Hunter stumbled backwards and into the side of the desk. "What the _hell_ is your problem tonight? What did I do to you? I haven't been here five minutes and already you're on my ass for no reason _after_ I agreed to be in your little match so you can stroke your overgrown ego. But if you mention Bret one more time I swear to God I'll pull out the match. I'll conveniently have a hunting accident and then it'll be screw you and your damn match! Try me Hunter! I may not have been the best friend you could have all those years Hunter, but you can't say I haven't tried apologizing for everything I've ever done to you."

Shawn stormed out of the office slamming the door behind him. Once he was gone, Hunter let out a sigh. This wasn't what he had planned-none of it. In the beginning his intention was to check Shawn's body for cuts or bruises, ask him about his relationship with Taker and possibly tell him about the nightmares. He was having them every night now and though he kept busy all weekend, he still would find himself wondering if this was some kind of voodoo shit caused by Taker. These days, with Kane running around acting foolish too, Hunter didn't put it past Taker to know voodoo. Any other explanation simply would not do because Hunter didn't believe in ghosts, demons or anything out of this world. He was more of a "see it to believe it" kind of guy. The dreams just baffled him.

After thinking some more, he headed out of his office in search of Shawn.

**~x~**

After Shawn stormed out of Hunter's office, he headed outside with every intention of leaving the arena. He got halfway across the parking lot before he stopped, catching his breath with his eyes closed. Hunter hated Bret about as much as Shawn loved the man, which was a lot, so when Hunter brought up the name it really struck a nerve. The two agreed in 2002 never to speak of him for he was the source of a majority of their issues. Hunter felt like Bret never deserved Shawn while Shawn felt like maybe he was never fair to Bret in the beginning. But it was moot point, especially since Bret wasn't employed by WWE. The guy was in no shape to wrestle anymore so why would Hunter even need to lash out like that about someone who was no threat anymore?

"Your thoughts are endless. They tired me."

Shawn opened his eyes to find Taker, fully dressed for the night's segment, standing before him. "I'm...sorry. I'll try not to think so much."

"You are troubled," he said simply. "It cannot be helped." Undertaker closed the gap between them, towering over Shawn. "Why do you care what he says to you? Bret is your past. Hunter's words should not trouble you anymore."

Shawn chose not to answer. How could he admit to Undertaker that he would always love Bret? Bret was his first and he doubted very seriously anyone could ever take his place-yet another reason why Hunter hated Bret so much.

Undertaker lifted the hat off of Shawn's head. _Carrier, you must let him go so that someone else can fill your void. I do not understand this love that keeps crossing your mind. To me, it seems like it causes more of this thing called sadness and hurt than the joy men claim to feel from such an emotion. _Undertaker paused. _If you love Bret and he is not at home in your bed each night, the love you are holding for him is pointless is it not?_

Shawn had no idea how to answer that, but it did make him wonder if he originally turned down all of Cena's advances because he was holding out for Bret. He really didn't know anymore. Shawn felt Taker's gloved hand cup the side of his face and he looked up meeting those all-knowing eyes. At the moment it was hard to imagine this guy as some lunatic soul-stealer, but Shawn knew better. He dropped his eyes keeping his mind as blank as possible. Nothing made much sense anymore.

"It is time for our segment Shawn."

Both men nodded before going their separate ways.

**~x~**

_"Oh and Hunter? Shawn's better than you..."_

Hunter was livid. When the segment was over, he stormed up the ramp following Shawn who was trying his best to get out of the war path and get back to his hotel room. He didn't know Undertaker was planning to use him in order to goad Hunter. His friend was so mad he was certain Hunter would punch him, but he didn't. Instead he glared daggers at Shawn who felt like the kickstand in this whole feud. Everything was his fault despite being retired.

Shawn managed to give Hunter the slip by ducking into the ladies locker room. Only Maryse was in there and since they were such good friends, she hardly made a fuss about him. Shawn waited about five minutes before poking his head out. When he didn't see Hunter or Taker, he thanked Maryse, slipping out of the dressing room making haste for the exit.

"Hey Shawn! Wait up. I need a word."

Shawn sighed. He thought he was home free, but he had been spotted after all. He turned around, frowning at the masked man who approached him. "Kane?" he frowned. "What now? If it's about Hunter you can tell him I don't have time for his tantrums. I am not responsible for the things that come out of Taker's mouth."

Kane shook his head, running a hand through the strands of his hair. "Let's step outside." Kane pushed the door open holding it for Shawn.

Shawn headed out a little ways towards the parking lot stopping when they were a fair distance from the arena. "What now? Did Hunter send you?"

Kane shook his head. "I don't take orders from acting COO or anyone else for that matter." Kane looked as if he was struggling with what to say or how to say it, but Shawn waited patiently to hear him out. "Shawn, my brother is dangerous. You should stay away from him."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I kinda figured that out the night he cut me up and tried to steal my soul, but hey. Thanks for the warning!" But then Shawn slapped a hand over his mouth. He really did not mean to say that out loud. Fact is, even though Taker was dangerous, lately the guy seemed like he was changing for the better. Or if not changing, he was just being a good guy. In the last two weeks, Taker hadn't threatened him or anything. The only painful thing he recalled was the mark on his palm, but it usually went away after a while. "Kane... I-I didn't mean that," he added quickly, but Kane was already nodding his head.

"Yes, you did. Give me your hand," he ordered.

"N-no-hey!" Kane grabbed Shawn's wrist squeezing hard so he would open up his hand. He traced his palm with a finger and sure enough the mark of the Undertaker appeared. "Ahh...don't," Shawn groaned. "Hurts."

Kane released his hand, pinning Shawn with a dark look. "He owns you now Shawn and you need to be careful. My brother has...for lack of better terms, mental instability." Kane paused, but then suddenly began laughing out loud. He also had a few loose screws so it wasn't like he was that much better than his brother. On the other hand, he wasn't out to steal souls and raise the dead either. Big difference.

"What's so funny?" Shawn asked. He stuck his hands in his pockets to subdue the burning sensation he felt and because he felt nervous or uneasy right now.

Kane got quiet again, but Shawn could not read his expression well. The mask kept Shawn from seeing underneath Kane's persona. However, once he looked hard enough he could see it. It was faint, but there was an aura outlining Kane's body. It was red-no. It was an orange color and though he couldn't remember what that meant, he at least knew Kane wasn't being hostile towards him.

"I saw my brother earlier before your segment. He looked…calmer than usual for this time of year." Kane nodded towards Shawn's arm. "The mark on your hand… I've seen him use it to control people. I'm sure he's controlling you now."

"He is not!" Shawn huffed. "He-he just-"

"You're defending him," Kane said, cutting him off. "Whatever. It's not really my business anyway. I only came to warn you because you're a decent human being. I've never seen you look at me the way others still look at me now… like I'm some kind of monster and a freak. I know that I am, but men like me like to be reminded that we have human emotions. It's not always fun being that guy nobody talks to."

Kane turned to leave, his sudden confession of sorts baffling Shawn. But Shawn felt compelled to say something to him. After all, he could understand why the younger brother would be concerned. Undertaker had serious issues, but Shawn just tried not to dwell on them. There was this part of him with this massive fear of Taker while the other part of him felt like maybe taking orders from Taker could lead to good later on. It was just a gut feeling, but even with Kane's warning he wasn't ready to freak out just yet. "Hey Kane?" Kane was halfway across the parking when he stopped. "You're…not a monster and…and I'm glad my last match on Raw was against you."

Shawn left to find his car heading back to the hotel. He never knew Kane watched him leave, his expression softened under his mask. Once Shawn was gone, Kane scowled and headed back inside.

**~x~**

When Shawn got back inside his hotel room, he sat on the end of the bed, mind racing with various thoughts from Hunter's outburst about Bret to Kane's warning. Just what was the meaning of it all and if Taker was a lunatic, how could he get out of this? He'd been deemed Taker's Carrier and this at least, was keeping him from walking the earth as a mindless drone. He half wondered if Hunter or Kane was in his position would they really attempt to defy the Undertaker.

"Would you like to go home Carrier?"

Shawn didn't even jump. His hand burned the entire drive back to the hotel so he knew Taker was somewhere nearby, no doubt watching him. "I have a flight booked for in the morning."

"I cancelled it. There is no need to spend money when I can teleport us back. Come now. The hour is late and you are tired."

Not bothering to argue, Shawn dragged himself to his feet. He walked about the room grabbing his suitcase along with the knapsack that held the urn. Taker placed an arm on his shoulder and in the next instant they were standing in Shawn's bedroom. Shawn didn't even bother to question it. If Taker could steal souls then of course he could magically travel the earth.

Shawn set the urn on his nightstand and tossed his knapsack across the room. He didn't even bother to unpack either. He put his hat away, stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, the Undertaker watching him the entire time.

"Goodnight Carrier."

"Hey wait!" Shawn stared at Taker for a moment taking in his aura. Despite Kane's warning, it was still a dull grey color.

"Yes Carrier?"

"N-nothing." He went quiet wondering why all of a sudden he wanted to touch Taker or be touched by him. It was like an uncontrollable longing that seemed to have gotten worse since the last night Taker was in his home.

The Undertaker moved closer to the bed towering over Shawn. He reached out, hesitating for a moment, but when Shawn didn't look away, he let his fingers brush his Carrier's cheek ever so lightly. Shawn closed his eyes at the touch, sighing as if some kind of desire had been satisfied. "Goodnight Carrier." Taker backed away and then disappeared.

**~x~**

Gangrel and Mideon stood outside a run down, grey-ish looking trailer seemingly out in the middle of a dry desert. They were in Central Texas, but Grel had no idea exactly where. There were small patches of grass around the place and two outdoor lounge chairs outside. Old tires and some other random junk littered the yard which raised Grel's suspicions. "Are you certain this is the place?"

Mideon nodded. "Aye, I'm certain. He is inside."

"Then come on." Grel and Mideon hastily hurried towards the door. Not bothering to knock, Grel used his strength to tear the door off the hinge and walked inside. Sure enough, a small balding man was sitting in a rocking chair. He looked worn out from a day's work, his dirty clothes indicating that maybe he was outside all day. He had a book in his hand with funny symbols on the cover and as he rocked back and forth, a high pitch laugh escaped him. "Paul?"

"I knew you'd come," he answered after a while. "I had a dream the other night that two shadows would come calling in the night seeking a power I once had."

Grel and Mideon exchanged looks. "Power…maybe, but I'm here to talk about the Undertaker. He isn't well and I'm afraid he is in need of some serious spiritual guidance."

Paul looked up from his book. "Tell me more."

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: Thanks Jade for the review of the last chapter. I know I'm slow on updates, but I'm working on original fics as well. Balancing time isn't easy now. 1000th Raw coming up. That's huge. Hoping the creepy one at least makes an appearance. He's not a fave of mine, but he is the last of my generation.<span>**

_- Again, go check out some of wrestlefan4 fics. She's got this one horror story starring Jericho and Matt Hardy. Its incomplete but it's so good._

_- "Heart to Hart". Pairing is Bret/Shawn. Read it too._

_- "In Over Your Head". Jericho and Shawn. No set pairings. Co-Written by Ortonholic. Read it._

_- Was thinking about setting up a FB page to communicate with fans. Not sure I will but it was a thought._


	10. The Pull

SMF X

When Shawn woke up the next morning, he was surprised to see Undertaker standing over him. Normally that would have creeped him the hell out, but maybe he was getting used to Undertaker and his intrusive ways. Furthermore, there was still that unexplained longing to see him or be near him when he wasn't around so at least he wouldn't spend the day wondering what he was up to.

"Good morning Carrier. Did you sleep peacefully?"

Shawn sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard. "I don't know. How long have you been standing there?" he asked, giving Taker a knowing look.

The Undertaker, completely oblivious to the meaning of Shawn's expression, simply closed his eyes. "I have been here for almost an hour. You are an early riser. I did not expect you to sleep late." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes and tilting his head to the side. "Unless...I have been mistaken. Were you exhausted?"

Shawn chuckled softly as he got out of bed, taking the time to make it up. He was in his underwear, but he doubted Undertaker would care. After all, they were both men who spent most of their lives wrestling men in their underwear in front of thousands. One could almost say underwear passed for everyday clothing. "I guess you could say that. After fussing with Hunter after a long flight, the night sort of dragged me down."

"I noticed your distress. Are you still troubled Carrier?"

Shawn walked to his closet and pulled out a short, pink robe slipping it on. He tied it loosely in front covering himself. "Your interest in my state of mind is flattering Taker, but I can't help but think you should be looking after yourself. How's your head?" Shawn allowed himself to focus on Taker observing the colors surrounding him. His aura had not changed and was still the dull gray since last night.

The Undertaker took a long time to respond, but he was pondering his answer. To be honest, he was having difficulty remembering things he did days ago. It likely was common to forget things that happened long ago, but it was unlike himself to be so confused.

"While you are pondering your answer, I'm going to make breakfast. Have you eaten anything?" Shawn asked. He was already making his way towards his kitchen, which felt very much like a home for many. Various hunting trophies adorned the wall which matched the brown color scheme. The counters were a dark wood but it went nicely with the light brown marble counter tops. There was a large eating table in the center of the kitchen and Taker took a seat at the end of it watching stoically as Shawn moved about the kitchen setting various foods on the counter and pans on the stove.

"I am experiencing a form of memory loss," Taker said after a while.

Shawn placed strips of bacon in one frying pan while the other was nearly hot enough for pancake batter. With his back to Taker, focusing on his cooking he answered with a frown on his face. "Memory loss? Well that's not good. How do you know you're having memory issues?"

"It seems I cannot remember the things I've done from day to day. I remember putting you to bed last night, but anything before that moment in time is a murky memory. I am almost tempted to think someone has been tampering with my memories, but I know no one who could do such a thing. Bradshaw and Farooq would never betray me."

Shawn poured the batter in the hot pan and as it settled, he put some berries on a plate slicing them slowly. "You do realize I am probably the least qualified person to have this conversation with right? I don't know anything about memory loss and crazy hocus pocus."

"You are relevant and extremely qualified. You see auras which means you have an affinity for magic. You are also a Christian correct?"

Shawn moved back over to the stove flipping the pancake. "Yes, I am, but I am failing to see how my faith in God has anything to do with your situation."

The Undertaker once again went quiet and he stayed that way for the remainder of the time Shawn was cooking. A big plate of pancakes topped with fruit and a side of bacon was set before him along with a glass of milk. Shawn almost settled down at the other end of the table, but it felt like he was being pulled towards his guest. Deciding not to fight it-whatever it was-he sat near Taker at the table and tried very much to keep his personal thoughts about the situation to himself. Having someone here, even if it was a potential lunatic, felt nice. Despite Kane's warning, he was going to enjoy this.

"Your faith in your beliefs and your belief in your faith is what makes you unique." Taker did not look up but instead, he kept cutting his pancakes into perfect squares. "All of that contributes to your aura. If I could see it properly I am almost positive it is a vibrant color most times. Your light and vibrant spirit is a magnet for troubled souls. My soul...is troubled, but your spirit soothes me. Without your spirit, I am a dangerous man. Does that make sense to you Carrier?"

Shawn sipped on his orange juice mulling over Taker's words. "I...guess that makes sense. Well, if you compare your troubled souls to those of us humans with sin in our hearts then yeah, it makes sense that the light banishes the darkness or sin rather."

The Undertaker nodded. "Very good Carrier. You have explained it for me in a way that I could not."

The rest of the breakfast was eaten in silence, but no words were needed. Shawn had already established that Taker was a man of few words. Even in all the years they worked together, Taker only spoke when it was necessary to speak and in private, it seemed he only spoke to make his point and everything else was moot point. But Shawn didn't mind it at all. Taker's presence was enough to calm that annoying empty feeling he was starting to get every time Taker was gone. On the other hand, whenever he was near Taker, he felt this urge to be near him. Not in a sexual way-at least he didn't think so-but just to be near his aura maybe? He would have to research this because he did not understand what was happening.

"Thank you for breakfast Shawn. It was very good. I'm not sure how you knew, but milk is my favorite drink."

Shawn smiled big as he got up from the table gathering their dishes and sticking them in the dishwasher. "I kind of peeked in your personal cooler one night at the arena. Milk and bottled water." Shawn sat on the table near Taker looking down at him. This man wanted his soul but right now he hardly looked like the scary guy who cut him up some time ago.

"I am not safe Shawn," Taker said. "Please do not be foolish and let your guard down around me. The memory loss has me concerned. Please keep the urn near you at all times when I am present."

Shawn nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah, I understand," he laughed, "but your aura is calm." Shawn placed his palm on top of Taker's hand, gently rubbing the back of it. "I don't think you want to hurt me right now." Taker looked down at Shawn's smaller hand covering his own and then their eyes met. Shawn quickly withdrew his hand and hopped off the table. Touching... He touched Taker and it felt weird. It made the mark in his hand tingle and even more so than that, an urge to hold Taker was present.

Shawn left the kitchen retreating to his bedroom. After that little moment, he needed a slight breather. Taker joined him minutes later towering over him. "I will take my leave now Carrier. I feel...weary."

"Will I see you again?" Shawn asked, looking up into those cold, green eyes. There it was again...that urge to touch the Undertaker. It was more persistent now and he nearly sat on his hands to keep from touching the man. Undertaker however, looked baffled by the question. His perplexed expression took Shawn's mind off of his hands for a moment. "I meant will I see you again today?"

He pondered a second before he tilted his head to the side in response. "Do you wish for me to return Carrier? Your question baffles me. I was under the impression you wished to see less of me. I will respect your wishes if you continue to respect mine."

Shawn did not know how to answer this because he did not want to admit to Taker just yet that there was a desire to see him. Shawn knew that part of his longing to see Taker might have been magic, but he always had a respect for Taker all these years. He had to admit that there was a small chance magic wasn't involved at all and that he simply enjoyed being around Mark, as unbalanced as he might be. "I...I don't know. I guess I kind of got used to you checking in."

"Then I will check in when the hour is late. Goodbye Carrier. Your cooking was a treat." And with that the Undertaker disappeared.

**~x~**

Farooq and Bradshaw waited patiently outside the spooky mansion for their master's return. When they felt the pull from their marks, they headed back inside to meet him in the hallway at the entrance.

"Master, you look well," Farooq noted before bowing his head low.

"What he means to say is that we were worried. You left without informing us this morning," Bradshaw stated, a little sternly out of concern but not enough to get himself in trouble for insubordination.

The Undertaker simply started towards his current sleeping room, or chamber rather, in a dungeon downstairs. "I visited my Carrier. I wished to see his well-being for myself," he stated as they walked down the stairs into the dimly lit room.

Farooq and Bradshaw exchanged looks, but didn't say much more on the matter. They knew of Shawn and never once had a problem with him so at least this new Carrier of his was inadvertently a decent human being.

Bradshaw rushed to his master's side, kneeling by his feet. "That won't be necessary Bradshaw. I will be returning to Shawn's home later. He wishes for it."

At this, Bradshaw looked a little put off but he stepped away humbly. "Yes, master."

"Please leave me. The traveling has me weary. I must rest."

Farooq and Bradshaw headed up the stairs to stand guard outside the dungeon door. "I don't like this," Bradshaw muttered. "He's seeing too much of him."

"Aww don't be such a sourpuss John. Shawn's good for him," Farooq noted. "I doubt the man has any vindictiveness towards him anyway. If he did, he'd have already hunted him down on his show-which is very good by the way. You oughta check it out sometime. He's a beast with a bow."

"Well...no it's not so much Shawn I'm worried about," Bradshaw stated. "It's the..." He looked around to make sure they were lurking though it was often hard to tell. Mideon and Grel often moved about the shadows quietly and with ease so one could never truly know when one was listening. "The vampires," he whispered. "They're up to something and I don't know what."

Farooq nodded his head in agreement. "I know. I've been watching them. They're up to something and Lord knows I'd like to warn the master, but he's in Wrestlemania mode. Between his conflicting personalities and us being unable to prove it, there's not much we can do John."

Bradshaw was quiet for a long time. "Say? You don't reckon they'd go after Shawn do ya?"

"I...would hope not," he frowned. "Taker marked Shawn. Shawn belongs to him. I know he's not planning on marrying him or nothing like that but we're to never touch Shawn unless we're told to."

Two figures dropped down silently before them hissing and baring their fangs. Bradshaw jumped back nearly falling over Farooq. "What the fuck was that all about?" Bradshaw asked.

The two vamps just chuckled softly.

"That wasn't funny," Farooq growled. "Master is sleeping and you could have caused us to wake him. You know how he gets when he is disturbed."

"Oh pipe down will ya?" Grel said. He sniffed the air a bit before removing his cloak while Mideon just lurked quietly in the background. "I'm hungry. Anyone wishes to lend me their neck?"

"Go to hell," Bradshaw grumbled, resuming his post.

"Oh I've been there thank you. It's not so bad once ya get used to the feeling of suffocating," he grinned toothily. "Anyway, what's with all the whispering? Are you two up to something?" he sang.

"No more than you two are," Bradshaw snapped. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of it too and when I do, you two are history. You'll be out of here. So long losers!"

"John, John, pipe down will ya?" Farooq hissed. "You'll really wake Taker and we don't want that."

"No we do not need our master disturbed from his slumber. Grel and I will be kind and take our leave now. We must go hunt," Mideon stated quietly from the shadows. "We are not up to anything. We simply have the Undertaker's best interest at heart."

"Yes, we only want what's best for him. One more soul and he'll truly be immortal," Grel said quietly as he began to fade in a mist. "Drink ya later."

The mist quickly vanished along with the two immortal beings. "That was...weird," Farooq stated after a while. Bradshaw on the other hand, was almost too furious to speak. "You are right John. Something _is_ up."

"Oh well it took you long enough to see things my way," he snorted. "What clued you in finally?"

"Call me naive John, but do you get the feeling that maybe Taker has put the whole soul capturing thing to rest lately?"

Bradshaw was quiet for a long time, face twisted in confusion. "I-maybe. He hasn't mentioned it, but I'm sure he wants to be immortal."

"Does he really?" Farooq asked. "Or is he after something else all together?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "His soul...his...something-he said Shawn makes him feel calm. Sometimes I get the feeling Taker is tired of being here."

"Like...he wants to die?"

"Well...he can't really die," Farooq chuckled. "But maybe he's searching for peace. I know it sounds cheesy, but I don't think the real Undertaker-the one who is calm-wants to be immortal. I think he just wants a way out."

"O...kay, so what does that have to do with the vamps?" Bradshaw asked.

"Good grief, you're as slow as ever," he replied, throwing up his hands in defeat. "They want to help Taker collect Hunter's soul, but what if he doesn't want it anymore John? You know I'll always serve our master, but if he's not after Hunter's soul then we need to make sure they don't try to manipulate him into stealing it. That's wrong John and you know it."

Bradshaw nodded as he slid down to the floor, leaning back against the door. "I know and I'll keep an eye on those two vamps."

"Me too. We have to make sure innocent lives aren't taken here."

**~x~**

Shawn spent the rest of the afternoon doing a whole lot of reading. He wanted to know why his interest in Taker was increasing with each passing day and why he felt such a pull towards him. He could not find any specifics in his aura books, but he did find a rather interesting chapter describing the effects of merging magical auras. Something about it can unite them through body and soul releasing powerful magic that leaves one nearly invincible while the other is vulnerable.

Shawn closed his books setting them aside on his nightstand. It was getting late and since Taker was not yet here, he decided to grab a long bath. As he laid in the tub, he let his eyes close and immediately he could see Taker. He was sleeping soundly in a bed some place dark. It looked eerily like the room that he was taken too the night he was kidnapped. He watched as Taker's eyes opened, those cold, green eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. Moments later Taker sat up, hanging his feet off the side of the bed. He stood-butt naked-and walked across the room. Shawn couldn't see the front of him but he could see his naked backside in all its glory. It felt wrong looking upon that body, but he didn't know how to stop looking. Was this a dream? Was it real? He had no idea.

The image suddenly changed and he found himself looking...at himself. He was naked leaning against a wall but the expression on his face was hard to read. But then he saw himself smile. It was a long while before he saw the reason why he was smiling. The Undertaker appeared, standing before him. Taker took his hips pulling him close and then they were kissing. They were kissing and he was being pressed up against the wall once more while that strong frame rubbed up against him making him feel so good...

"Carrier?"

The images went blurry and when he came to, he was laying in a tub full of water, nearly slipping under it. "Oh God!" He sat up straight, trembling and body feeling hot. He slid his hand between his thigh cursing under his breath that some dream could get him aroused.

"Shawn?"

Shawn jumped, startled by the voice. He looked up and was sure his face would turn deeper shades of red as he stared into the eyes of the man he was just dreaming about. Embarrassed, he quickly grabbed a sponge trying to make sure he was covered by the bubbles, but his face was burning hot. "I-how long have you been standing there?" he managed after a while.

"I have not been here long." He looked sternly at down at Shawn, piercing him with those eyes of his. "You could have drowned."

"I-I know. I didn't...I mean...I don't really know what happened." He looked away. He could not bring himself to look at Taker, not while he suddenly felt that uncontrollable longing to touch him and being aroused at the same time for no good reason.

"You are uncomfortable. I will exit the restroom while you get yourself together." The Undertaker left the restroom and when he did, Shawn let out a sigh of relief. He was still somewhat aroused, but that was not supposed to happen. He didn't want Taker per se. He just...felt like he needed to be near him...or something. Sex was definitely not something he wanted to pursue with a potential lunatic. He went this long being a celibate man. He would manage.

When he finally got his body to calm down, he got out the tub. After drying off, he slipped on another pink robe and joined Taker in his bedroom. Taker was sitting in the floor cross legged holding his urn.

"Please be more careful Carrier."

"I will. I really don't know what made me fall asleep. I've never done that before."

"Ahh I see." Taker paused. "Please sit."

Shawn took a seat on the floor in front of him. His robe was rather short so to prevent showing all of his thighs he simply sat on his legs. "Is everything alright?"

"You were watching me. That is what woke me up and that is why I am here now."

Shawn blinked. "Watching you?"

_"Did you forget that our minds are linked Carrier? You were watching me in your bath."_

"Oh...oh you mean you were-but you were-in that dark room on that bed. That was you from like, a few minutes ago?" Taker nodded and when he did Shawn felt his face go hot. "Oh God I'm sorry. I-I didn't do it on purpose!" he stammered. "I just closed my eyes and the next thing I knew I was watching you sleep. It-I mean-I wasn't-"

Undertaker reached out and placed a finger over Shawn's lips silencing him. "You distress too much over things you cannot control. It cannot be helped Carrier. You have not yet learned to control what you see."

Taker dropped his finger and Shawn immediately went back to freaking out. "But I saw you! It was your private time and you were-were naked! And I'm not a pervert you know! I really didn't-"

"I sleep naked all the time Carrier. I often walk about the mansion naked. My minions are used to it." He tilted his head giving Shawn a puzzled look. "Do you fear nudity?"

"I-well no, but I mean, it makes me look like some form of creep for watching you," he answered, looking down at the urn.

"But I watch you naked all the time. Does that make me a creep?"

"You _what?!_" Shawn exclaimed, head shooting up to give Taker a look that was somewhere between appalled and angry.

The Undertaker nodded. "I do. I see you showering at work most nights. Your body is...aesthetically pleasing."

Shawn had no idea how to respond to that. Despite being a mixture of pissed off and flustered, he guessed he really had no right to be mad at Taker when he himself was just now creeping on him. And then he couldn't exactly say Taker was creeping since they all showered together at work anyway so there was that chance Taker was merely making an observation based on everyday working environments. He did however, make a mental note to start showering alone again.

"Do you not wish for me to look at you anymore?"

Shawn didn't know how to respond to that either because telling Taker "no" suddenly felt like it would be a hard lie.

"I am sorry Carrier. The things that you fret over have never been a problem for me. I am still learning. My last Carrier was never pleasing to watch nor did he do things for me like cook. He also never explained normal customs to me unless he deemed them important. I will not intrude upon your body any longer. You have my word."

Shawn nodded though part of him wondered if he truly desired Taker's eyes to be some place else. Even now as they sat on the floor he felt that magnet of a body drawing him closer. He would lean forward just a little and his body would tug him towards Taker, but Shawn stayed strong keeping his attention focused on the urn.

"Ahh Carrier it is time for me to return home. I have something I wish to show you about me tomorrow night." Taker stood to his feet with the urn and extended a hand, helping Shawn up. As soon as Taker's big hand wrapped around Shawn's own, there was a small amount of relief from the contact. Shawn held Taker's hand a lot longer than necessary before he caught himself, dropping the hand and walking towards the hall leaning back against the wall. He needed to be near Taker, but he also needed to get away. He was beginning to realize that giving in to the pull was not a good idea. Good for his sanity maybe, but not good otherwise.

"Carrier?" Shawn jumped, once again startled by that voice. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking anywhere but at Taker. "Are you alright?"

Shawn nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered quickly. "You uh...be safe."

The Undertaker did not buy that at all but he would put the issue to rest for the evening. Besides, he saw what Shawn saw in his dream earlier and it was all very pleasing. He reached out to cup the side of Shawn's face, watching as his eyes closed. "I am saying goodnight in the manner in which I've always said goodnight to you."

Shawn didn't say anything. That voice...that hand...touch. Taker's touch was relieving him and that is all that mattered at the moment. He sighed, turning his head just slightly so he could nuzzle the palm of Taker's hand, lips brushing the skin lightly in an almost kiss.

Taker dropped his hand low enough to run his thumb over Shawn's bottom lip and as he withdrew his hand, Shawn seemed to follow reaching up to grab his hand again, nuzzling the palm, brushing his lips over each finger purring softly. Never had Taker seen a reaction like this to his curse mark, but he was well aware that it made one feel a "pull". Shawn needed to be near him as much as Taker needed to be around him for his own sanity.

"Carrier? You need your rest." Shawn's eyes opened and he stared at Taker dreamily for a moment before he nodded in agreement. In a last act of, well, whatever this was, Taker patted Shawn on the head listening for that tiny purr of contentment. "Goodnight Carrier." Then he disappeared for the night.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: I probably won't be able to update for a while. I've been having to baby sit alot and I've got some original fics that will be published soon so I have to focus on the things that make me money. Now I realize 50 Shades of Crap was based on a fanfic but I'd rather not ever attempt to make money off of a wrestling fanfic. I have way too much respect for those men not to mention they're not gay so...yeah. LOL I hope you enjoy. Undertaker is hard to write. He's so...I don't quite know. If you get bored waiting on an update, check out some of my other fanfics. They're decent. Most are about Shawn and Taker's always in my fics as a main character or side character. Well that's all. Reviews are welcomed but I'm not going to harass you for them xD Oh and I put the link to my tumblr up on my profile so yeah. Check it out.<span>**


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